


Ice and Fire, Twice a Liar

by wylf_storm



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Caring!Loki - Freeform, Coulson doesn't live (sorry), Explicit Language, In which Steve is a dick, M/M, Magic, Sassy!Loki, Sexual Content, Teleportation, Use of alcohol as a coping mechanism, Violence, WIP, Work In Progress, omg my tags are useless I'm sorry, you don't have to live through his death though so there's always that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-07 10:48:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 40,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wylf_storm/pseuds/wylf_storm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his rampage in New York, Loki is on parole out of Asgard and serving the rest of his sentence of penance on Midgard with the Avengers. He encounters one Tony Stark there and though the two are at warheads at first, with so much going on around them they become a lot closer than expected...</p><p>ABANDONED DUE TO LACK OF AUTHOR'S INTEREST</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Going Back

It was late evening, and Loki paced his chambers back and forth relentlessly, raging fit to burst. It was the hundredth day of his confinement to the inner rooms of Asgard’s palatial structure, and there was still no definite word of his parole. Of, course with his skills, he had extracted what little he could glean from the servant who quickly ventured inside every week, but other than this, Odin had made well sure that he was ignorant. It was at this thought that a door clacked in the next room, alerting him to the presence of someone else. He stopped his well-worn route for a moment, to determine who it was.

  
“Most surprising… I was beginning to think you had forgotten the blemish on your family cloth.” He said coldly, and remained facing the wall.  
“No,” there was a pause while Odin entered the room.” You are no shame to me. Though your actions and my advisor would have me think otherwise.”  
Loki surveyed his hands. He knew that his almost-father would parry with words, as he had done the last time Loki confronted him. His cheek twitched involuntarily at the unpleasant memory.

“Why have you come? Not to tell me what already I know.” He said, turning his face so it was in profile.  
“No… your brother and I have talked on the matter, and we think it best for you to serve the remaining time of your sentence among those you inflicted your rage on. On Midgard.” Odin clarified, watching his son.

Loki’s jaw stiffened, and he raised his chin. “Am I to serve the mortals, use my talents like a common mason to rebuild their land as penance for my crimes?” He hissed, turning to fully face Odin, whose face was calm. He was expecting this.

“No. You will stay with Thor, and the others who stopped you. He has asked them to help teach you.”

Loki was furious now, and was positively shaking with rage. He could feel the familiar cold begin to seep in his bones, and knowing if he continued he would take on his Jotun form helped to take the edge off his anger. “Teach me what, exactly? How to be human? We are not like them father,” He coaxed, suddenly changing tack and stepping closer, trying to get Odin to see his point of view. “They have no true ruler… you could extend the reach of Asgard, and help them to become something better…”

“No! Stop this!” Odin drew himself up and looked sternly at his son. “It will be as I have said. No arguments. I thought you might have learnt enough to accept this with grace,” He murmured disappointedly, turning to leave.

Loki’s eyebrows twitched upwards at this - he was not surprised that Odin had expressed his emotion, but that he was going so soon. Loki didn’t think he could stand to be left alone again, even in his lavish chambers with his beloved books. On impulse he leapt forward and grabbed his almost-father’s hand.

“No, don’t leave me; when do I go?” He asked desperately, feeling childish and hating himself for this display.

“Tomorrow morning. Heimdall will be there to oversee your arrival.”

And with that, he drew his hand away from Loki, and swept away through the doors, leaving his son alone with his thoughts and his books.

********* 

Loki didn’t sleep at all his last night in Asgard. He was too busy thinking, and whenever he thought, he had to be seated cross-legged. He wasn’t particularly fussy where, only that he had to be cross-legged.

It was the mortals: something about them had been bothering him, or more, the man of iron had been bothering him. His sceptre that had conquered the minds of so many before, had failed. Only once, but it was a failure all the same and Loki was a great believer in zero failure. It was perhaps the most critical moment, and in hindsight, had cost him his victory.

_Why did the sceptre fail on the man of iron? What is different about him? He is physically weaker than almost all of them, but mentally more capable than most mortals…_

Frustrated, he threw himself onto his bed, where he lay facedown in disgust, with himself, his father, and his life in general. It was a short time after that he gathered his strength and rose to his feet.  
It was time to prepare.  
He was returning to Midgard.

\-----

The hour before dawn arrived, and Loki rose in the semi-darkness, as he always had. He did everything exactly the same way he had done since he was a child. There was only one difference: When he opened his chamber doors, he did not greet Thor affectionately, or turn to see if his foster parents had risen yet. Today, he was alone.  
Loki took his breakfast at dawn, no tricks were played, and no servants were tripped, nothing. His calmness disconcerted them more than his usual mischief as a child.  
He was changed, a man now. The time for games had past.

Loki strode purposefully through the halls of Asgard, until he came to the place he had been told to go. Waiting in the centre of the room was Heimdall, Gatekeeper of the former bifrost. Odin had not yet arrived.

Heimdall did not face him as he spoke slowly. “So, Prince, you are not so young as on your last venture, but still as foolish.” His words rankled Loki, but he kept his tongue in check. “I saw your actions on Midgard… You should have known the mortals would not yield to you. You know their history as well as I.” Heimdall turned and fixed him with golden eyes, the eyes that knew the universe and the Nine Realms. “You have much to learn.” He turned away again, and Loki felt slightly breathless with… was it… shame?

Loki wrinkled his pale brow, and shook his head slightly.  
 _I should have expected this from Heimdall, of all people!_ He thought angrily. He was spared any further conversation by the appearance of Odin, who nodded at his son.

“It is time.”

Heimdall took up his great sword and held it an arm’s length above his head, the point steady. At Odin’s word, he lunged forward and the first half-metre of blade disappeared. He slowly cleaved downwards through the air, then stepped forward and grasped one edge of the man-sized hole he had sliced in space. The surface inside the hole was blue, and rippled violently at first, then took on a red tinge and steadied out, showing Loki the landscape on the other side – A surprisingly familiar rooftop. He recognized the scene of the tesseract’s vortex launch, and Thor striding into the foreground, his crimson cape billowing behind him in the light wind.

Loki stepped closer, and saw the culprit of his late-night thoughts: Tony Stark, encased in his suit of iron hovering beyond the building’s edge.

Small beads of sweat were beginning to break out on Heimdall’s forehead, now but he made no sound. Loki, perceptive as ever had noticed the effort of sustaining the rift was taxing him, and wished to leave as quickly as possible, so as not to make the Gatekeeper suffer longer than necessary. Though he had defied Loki, he had remained true to the realm, and Loki had come to value his bravery.

“Father,” Loki nodded at him and steadied his sceptre, which he had been permitted to keep, once the Enchantress had purged it of its former property of mind possession. “This is farewell. I shall see you again when my time is served.” He quickly faced him, trying to convey his turmoil of emotion in his startlingly green eyes, then let go.He turned away again and faced the hole.

“Heimdall. I trust you will be keeping tabs on me, at your king’s will?” He asked, addressing the warrior as if Odin was not in the room.  
“I will.” He answered steadily, still holding the rift open.  
“Do not bother checking too often, then. I shan’t keep you any longer.” He responded wryly, and stepped into the hole without glancing back.  
The sensation was like passing through cool water, and was not unpleasant bar the fact that everything seemed very still inside. Loki had a sudden urge to remain here, where time would not pass and no wrong could be done…

Suddenly, Thor was embracing him, and as he craned his neck to glance behind, he caught Heimdall’s sword in the corner of his eye, sliding back up through the air and withdrawing.

There was no going back now.


	2. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki arrives on Earth, briefly meets the Avengers, then decides some decorating is in order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this a long chapter? I don't know. Tell me if it is.

“Brother!” Thor boomed, gripping Loki tight enough that he could feel his ribs painfully. “You are here! I have much to show you.” He held Loki at arm’s length and surveyed his appearance. Loki arched an eyebrow delicately at the red haired woman behind Thor on the right. She raised one of her own in obvious skepticism at his acceptance of Thor’s closeness. _It is not so much acceptance as tolerance,_ he thought wryly. _I can see her and I getting along._

“Thor. I am well received by you,” Loki stated mildly, then looking around at the small knot of people surrounding him: “Perhaps a little _too_ well…”

Thor’s face fell just a little before he regained himself. “I wished to receive you alone, but I was outnumbered. I believe the general thought was that you might need restraining…” He tailed off, and looked sideways at the bowman, Loki’s one-time lackey, who shrugged emotionlessly.

_A grudge holder then. He will be one of the last to forgive me…_ Loki thought. He liked the man. He did have heart after all, and from what he had told Loki whilst under his influence, he believed in second chances if he had saved the Romanov woman. This was good. Loki was going to need all the good he could get his hands on.

“Where to from here?” He enquired politely. “May I see my quarters?”

“Not so fast Reindeer Games.” The man of iron said, landing on the roof with a clunk. “This is my place. You try any tricks like last time – throwing people out of windows and shit – I will not be as nice as I was. You got that?” He growled, as the visor raised itself, showing Loki his furious, yet handsome features. He could understand how the man got so much publicity.

Not wanting to impede his stay, he acquiesced with a small bow.

“Of course. Forgive my forth righteousness,” He inclined his head a little, wondering if anyone was actually going to believe that he was sincere about it – which he was.

“Sure thing, Shakespeare. He’s worse than you, Point Break!” He called aside to Thor. Loki arched a slender brow again at the odd name. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to find out or not – from what he had seen previously of the Midgardians, they had a terrible habit of giving things the most peculiar titles.

“Introductions!” Thor beamed at his brother who was scanning the ring of faces with little emotion. “This is Director Fury,” (The dark one with the eye patch) “Natasha,” (The woman) “Clint,” (The bowman) “Bruce,” (The man and the monster) “Steve,” (The captain) “and Tony.” (So _that_ was the metal man’s name.)

“A pleasure, I’m sure, to meet you all. Officially.” Loki drawled, with as little sting as he could manage.

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine.” Came the curt response, from Fury. “I can speak for more than myself when I say I will sleep better at night, knowing you are where I want you to be.”

Letting the jibe pass, Loki turned to where he knew his voice would be heard.

“Thor, permit me to leave so soon, but I wish to rest.” He stated firmly, and added a small yawn for effect, which turned out better than anticipated.

“Tony…?” Thor enquired.

_What? Thor – asking permission? Things have changed more than I know…!_

Tony’s visor slid down again with a clank of metal on metal. “Sure thing. You know where the room is.” He pointed a gloved finger a Loki in a menacing way. “You even scratch the paintwork, it’ll be _me_ throwing _you_ out a window.”

He suddenly blasted off from the ground and flew down the side of the tower out of sight.

Thor placed his hand on Loki’s elbow to guide him, but he shook it off as nicely as he could and simply walked one step behind Thor, but this time by choice.

They descended from the roof via trapdoor, and as soon as it creaked shut (Tony certainly takes care of things around here, Loki thought dryly) Loki heard the remainder of the roof party immediately strike up a conversation about him.

“Are you sure about this?” Clint asked, presumably looking at Director Fury.

There was a pause while Fury collected his thoughts.

“Not entirely,” He admitted. “But if he so much as sneezes in a threatening way, you six are here to deal with him, and from what Thor’s said Asgard will have something to say about it too. As far as I’m concerned, he may be a threat, but even threats have to fear something. Make sure you’re his.”

A whirring noise approached, and something immense landed on the roof, then quickly whirred away again. Loki sent out tendrils of thought as he progressed further down the stairs – Fury was gone.

Thor arrived at the foot of the staircase and turned left. Though he could have memorized their route, Loki tuned out and made non-committal noises whenever Thor tried to make conversation. He only started paying attention again when they reached a set of metal doors, which slid open to reveal a box, with a grid of buttons on a panel.

“What is this?” He asked quizzically as Thor beckoned him inside.

“The mortals call it an ‘elevator’ or sometimes a ‘lift’. It’s a device that travels between levels in the building.”

Thor had barely finished speaking when the doors slid open with a hiss, and a corridor, very different to the one they had previously stood in faced them.

“You will be rooming on this floor,” Thor announced. As they passed each room, Thor said who occupied it. Loki was sleeping between Steve and Bruce, and opposite Thor. Natasha and Clint were further down the hall, and Tony’s room was at the very end. Loki went inside and surveyed his new home for the next year and a half – The room was painted cream with beige carpet, and a large double bed lay in the middle of the far wall. Further inspection showed he had his own bathroom, that actually contained a bath (Thor explained he though Loki would prefer a bath to the mortal’s more common ‘shower’).

“It will do.” Loki announced. “Thank you, Thor. I shall be fine here.”

Thor looked uncertain, but collected himself. “I will collect you again in two hours, to dine. We eat together here – if you do not arrive, you must arrange your own meal. I will escort you for the next two weeks while you learn your way. The others will have more to say on it when you get there. Until then, brother… Oh! I have this for you!” Thor remembered, and thrust a hand beneath his cloak to retrieve whatever it was from behind his back -  a small round face attached to two straps.

“They call it a watch. It is a device to tell the time – I thought you might find it useful.” He handed said device to Loki, who looked at the face and found it inscribed with numbers, and two hands that presumably moved. Unsure of what to say to this, he said nothing, turning the watch in his slender fingers. He heard Thor

Thor moved toward the doorway then paused.

“You are still a brother to me, you know. Nothing will change that.” Then he was gone, the door locking automatically behind him.

Loki sat on the edge of his new bed, then decided to furnish. He clicked his fingers, and his books materialized on the empty shelves that had been installed for such a purpose, then clicked his fingers again and the tapestry Frigga had woven him as a child appeared on the wall. He was glad he had brought only these two things with him – the green of the tapestry complimented the room, and both were small personal touches. The fact still remained that the room was sparse – but he had a year and a half to fix that.

“And what a time I shall have.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Was it good? I actually struggled with this, because not a lot happened. Promise angst for the next chapter though. Please comment suggestions/errors.


	3. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is properly introduced to everyone... including JARVIS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there is not as much angst as I would have liked, but still there is a little frustration. Updated sooner due to the fact that I cannot walk, so spent a lot of time just writing.

For the next two hours Loki sat cross legged in the centre of the room and read as much as he could from the books he had on the history of Midgard. He was in the index of a more recent text, looking for any mention of ‘elevators’ or ‘lifts’ when the door suddenly unlocked, and Thor walked in, dressed like a mortal in a plaid shirt and jeans. Looking past him, Loki could see Steve standing in the doorway, and Bruce just behind him. He could hear Clint laugh down the hall, and another door slam shut.

Thor handed him a bundle of cloth: midgardian clothing.

“I thought you might like something a little less bulky to wear. Your under-armour cannot be convenient to lie in! The temperature here also fluctuates more than on Asgard, and I have found these garments very comfortable.” Thor said, picking up the item under the shoes, an emerald green button-up shirt. Loki took it from him, thinking _He is right. These clothes suit me ill on Midgard – I was not prepared for this._

“We’ll wait outside while you change. Just come outside when you’re ready, okay?” Steve called kindly from the doorway, leaning off the frame and backing into the hall with Bruce. Thor nodded and made his retreat too. The door closed, but did not lock this time.

Loki stripped himself of his leather under-armour and the heavy boots with it. He slipped into the shirt, and the black jeans that were under it in the pile. After putting on the socks and slipping his feet into the black leather shoes, he couldn’t resist a look in the mirror.

 _Though it might have been Thor’s idea, he didn’t picked the colours_ , Loki decided. Everything matched too well, and the whole outfit contrasted his pale, angular face and slick black hair in a way that was almost dangerous to women. He chuckled quietly to himself, exited the bathroom and opened the door to his room.

“It suits you, Loki. Jane will be pleased!” Thor grinned at Bruce, who snorted.

“I thought father told you to leave the woman?” Loki enquired, with growing skepticism.

Thor looked away briefly. “Not now. The others are waiting.”

“Yes,” Steve interjected, noting Thor’s troubled expression. “Let’s go up – I’m starved!” He led the way to the lift, and pressed their floor number, watching the doors hiss shut. A few seconds of extremely awkward silence ensued, until the doors slid apart to a large, open room with a table in one corner where Tony, Natasha, and Clint were sitting drinking alcohol.

“Finally graced us with your presence Reindeer Games?” Tony called out, taking a swig of his gin, then he looked up and spluttered a bit. He wasn’t expecting Loki to look so… _suave_. How was he supposed to live with _that_ down the hall from him?

“What’s cooking, Clint?” Bruce asked, as he pulled a chair out.

“Pizza. Tony decided it. Again.” He muttered the last word so only Natasha could hear in an effort to make her laugh, but failed miserably.

“What do you have against pizza?” She demanded. “If I remember right, you practically _lived_ on the stuff after Budapest!”

“Hey, that’s enough.” Clint shook a finger at her, then burst out laughing.

“When’s it getting here? You did remember to put in a delivery time, right?”

“Of course. I don’t want to have to go down and get it like last time!” Clint rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Everyone started laughing at this, and as Loki sat down he felt a strong sense of isolation. It didn’t last long, as the others felt this was the opportune time to grill Loki, and lecture him in general.

“So, Loki. You’re Thor’s little brother,” Steve began calmly.

Loki clenched his fists into the fabric of his jeans under the table, trying to keep a level head. He _hated_  being known as only ‘Thor’s little brother’ like everything he did was defined by Thor, had to have Thor’s permission, or was done better by Thor.

_No! This is me, my doing. I carved my name into the surface of this world and I will carve it deeper if I have to._

He tilted his head back and clenched his jaw, making the muscles in his pale neck stand out like cables.

“Yes.”

While everyone else was looking at Loki, Tony at the opposite end of the table was out of their field of vision,  took a large swig of his drink and breathed deeply through his nose three times. It was a trick Rhodey taught him to calm down and had stopped many bar fights, but Tony could not recall having to use it when attractive persons were in question. The top button of Loki’s shirt was undone letting his collarbones peek out, and Tony suddenly found himself wondering what the rest of Loki’s chest looked like.

 _Get a grip! He threw you out of a fucking_ window, _then asked you for a drink. Sure, the guy’s got nerve – or maybe he’s just stupid – but he’s not interested in anything other than his reputation._

After thinking about that for a second, Tony had to contain his laughter. He’d practically described himself perfectly.

Meantime, the other’s had been questioning Loki about basic things – Did he like his room, did he want to use the training area, or was he averse to any kind of food?

Loki thought for a moment on the second one. “Yes, I would rather like to reacquaint myself with exercise.” He decided aloud.

“Okay, so you want to use the gym too?” Natasha asked, expressionless. “Machines in there that help build up body strength.” She clarified when Loki tilted his head and a small crease appeared between his brows.

“That would be nice, yes.”

“Okay. I’ll put up a roster for people to watch you when you want to go there - You don’t get run of the mill yet. Tony, can you put a buzzer in Loki’s room?”

“Hold it spider lady, you’re forgetting JARVIS.” Tony admonished, then sat up suddenly and cursed. “Shit!”

“What?” Bruce asked, then looked appalled. “It wasn’t the acetone peroxide again was it? Did you leave it?!” He made to get up from the table, but Tony waved him down.

“No, no, I put that away. It’s… we forgot JARVIS.” He looked over at Thor, and then at Steve who had both reacted badly to discovering JARVIS. Loki was completely lost by this point, and settled back in his chair with a look of haughty disdain at the course the conversation was taking. Most of the others at the table were either swearing or pulling faces now, and Loki chuckled softly at their discomfit, which earned him a reproving look from Natasha.

“Loki, there is… someone-“ Thor began, but Tony interrupted him.

“Some _thing_ , Thor; I told you, JARVIS _is_ the house.” He waved his arms exasperatedly. Did no one appreciate the fact he had engineered the perfect virtual butler?

“I find it easier to think of him as a man in the roof,” Steve admitted a little sheepishly.

Loki was incredibly confused now, and wanted answers. “Who, or what is JARVIS?” He demanded.

“I am JARVIS.” A disembodied voice rang through the room, startling Loki to his feet. He quickly sank to a crouch and whipped a knife out from underneath the back of his shirt where he had hidden it in case of such an event, and hissed involuntarily. When the others saw the weapon, they reacted instantly. Thor and Steve stood up and shouted at Loki to drop the weapon, Clint’s hand flew to the gun on his hip, Bruce backed away from the table breathing calmly, and Natasha stayed exactly where she was with her gun pointed squarely at Loki. Only Tony sat down, and a smirk began to cross his face at the reactions JARVIS had prompted. He couldn’t control himself any more, and burst out laughing.

Loki slowly stood up, disregarding everyone but Tony as he slipped his knife back behind him, and took a step closer to the table.

“You think this is _funny,_ Stark? Enjoying your little joke? Just because I am staying here, doesn’t mean I have to like you.” He scowled, and held Tony’s now serious gaze with his startling green eyes.

 _Those eyes…_ Tony could feel the righteous anger in them burning him from the inside, and… was that a spark of enjoyment? _Oh, those eyes…_

Loki smirked and broke eye contact, leaving Tony to gasp for air as subtly as he could.

“Thor, if you could escort me back to my room, I would be most grateful. I do not care much for dinner now.” Loki said striding towards the door, and not leaving Thor with much choice but to follow him. “Worry not, Captain. You can show me around in the morning.” He called over his shoulder, startling Steve who had been thinking just that.

“Yes, Banner. I do have telepathic abilities. And no, Barton. I do not always do this. One must respect the privacy of the mind.” He turned at the lift doors and stood for a second after they slid open. “I trust you will respect mine too.” He grinned smugly, turned on his heel and closed the door behind a furious and bewildered Thor.

“Well.” Tony twitched his head to the side, still recovering from the intensity of Loki’s gaze, and his attractive eyes. “That didn’t go the way I planned.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it okay? Did I screw anything up? I'm sorry it's a little slow paced at the moment, but seriously, I just had to make some foundations for the plot to stand on.


	4. Questions Unanswered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki gets the tour of the Tower, and asks himself some deep questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING, I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON I'M SORRY. I'm trying to get some form of routine established, but Iron Man 3 feelings interrupted me.  
> Here it is at last, please enjoy what little I have to offer. :)  
> Comments appreciated like you wouldn't know.

Loki skipped dinner altogether that night, and after pretending to listen to Thor’s little rant at him for being discourteous, undressed from the tight jeans and slept in just the underwear they provided him with. It was strange, as he was used to sleeping with more clothing on, at least a long sleeved shirt and knee length pants, but it was not uncomfortable.

  
He woke early in the morning, and after stretching like he always had, remembered the previous night’s altercation.

  
_Does the thing Jarvis belong to Stark, or is it free willed?_ He wondered, and decided that the best way to find out was to ask.

  
“…Jarvis?” He asked tentatively.

  
“Yes, sir.” The smooth, cultured voice was quieter this time, and Loki suddenly wondered if the machine was sentient.

  
“What exactly are you?” He asked, and promptly sat on the carpet, deciding that this was his time to question without interruption, due to the early hour (After studying his watch, he had figured out that it was six am).

  
“I am Mr. Stark’s butler, sir. I was programmed to take care of all security and electronic matters, and am voice operated by Mr. Stark.”

  
“Are you able to leave the house?”

  
“Technically speaking, no, sir. I can be uploaded into other systems at Mr. Stark’s will, however.”

  
_Of course! That must be how he gets things done inside the suit! He has integrated this being – smarter than I gave him credit for…_

“Thank you, Jarvis. If you could wake Thor for me…? Stark mentioned it yesterday.”

  
“Of course, sir.”

  
A few seconds later a muffled thud could be heard from across the hall, and Loki waited just beyond the door for Thor to open it. When he did, he gave Loki an irritable grunt, and croaked out “Why do you always have to rise before the sun?”

  
“Because if I rose with you, by then the day has already started, and that is time wasted.” Loki waved his hands towards the lift, indicating that Thor, still half asleep, should start walking.

  
To his surprise, Loki was not the first one awake. Natasha was already at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee in hand, seated across from Steve, who had only a bottle of water in front of him.

  
“Thor, you look like hell. Go back to bed – we’ll take care of him. Go on!”

  
Thor looked as if he was going to argue, but she waved him away with her free hand, and he disappeared without any further complaint.  
“Want anything?” Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow over her cup before taking a sip from it.  
 _She is as bad as me at that… an interesting habit. Oh yes, I do like this woman._

  
“Bread, perhaps?”

  
“Top drawer to the right of the stove.”

  
Loki opened the drawer and pulled out a plastic bag of bread slices. He opened the top and made a face at it – it smelled like the bag it came from, and nothing like the warm loaves served in Asgard. Since it was the only thing available to him at the present moment, it would do well enough.  
He turned and surveyed the kitchen briefly. “How do I cook it?”

  
Steve and Natasha passed a look between them before Steve stood up and beckoned Loki to the corner of the kitchen.

  
“This is the toaster. It cooks the bread, but it will pop up when it’s done, so don’t be alarmed, okay? This is the third one, because Thor managed to smash the first and second.” He shook his head, and Loki’s mouth twitched upwards imperceptibly. “Put this-“ He took the bread from Loki “In here-“ placed one slice each in a slot on the device “And push down the lever, then wait for it to come out. Got it?”

  
Loki nodded his understanding and thanks, and Steve left him to it, returning to his drink bottle.

  
A few moments later, the toaster popped with a loud ‘DING’, and despite Steve’s warning Loki jumped.

  
“By the Nine!” He cursed, then realized his mistake as Natasha snorted into her coffee.

  
She turned to Steve and smiled. “But you gotta admit, that was a hell of a lot better than Thor.”

  
He grinned and dropped his head into his arm on the table, chortling a little, then threw his arms into the air in defeat. “Okay, okay, you got me. You win!” Steve then handed over a ten dollar bill which Natasha pocketed with a smug smile.

  
“Plates are in the second drawer down to the left of the stove. You going to put anything on it?” She called over her shoulder.

  
Loki walked to said drawer and pulled out a plate, then walked to the toaster and deposited his toast on it.

  
“No, thank you. It’s fine like this.” He replied, pulling up a chair next to Steve and sitting in it. He began to feel uncomfortable after a few seconds, and looked up to see the other two staring at him.

  
“What?”

  
Natasha looked down into her almost-empty mug. “Nothing. Just wondering why you are up so early.”

  
_I’m sure you were,_ Loki thought skeptically. “I would like to begin using the facilities provided as soon as possible, and see what I have to work with.”

  
“If by ‘facilities’ you mean training room, then you are in luck; that’s where Steve and I are headed. If not, we’ll escort you back downstairs to your room.”

  
“How convenient for me,” He said, picking up his toast and starting to eat it finally. It was rather bland, and he felt he had missed an opportunity when Natasha asked about spreads, but he made short work of his breakfast all the same. After being shown the ‘dishwasher’ and it’s purpose, the trio left the common room, and took the lift down seven floors to the training room.

  
The training room was not a room, as such, but more an arena taking up the majority of the floor, with a five metre wide depression in the middle which could be raised up to floor level again. On the far side were two doors, one leading to a glass-fronted room full of exercise equipment, but the other door was hardwood, and Loki couldn’t see into the room.

  
“Right,” Natasha announced. “That’s the gym, you can see it. Use it if you like, Steve and I are going to spar.” She waved him to the gym then removed her jacket, standing barefoot in black yoga pants and a navy singlet facing Steve who was wearing track shorts and a loose grey shirt.

  
Steve raised his hands into a boxing position, but the only move Natasha made was to hold her arms out slightly from her small body. Loki decided not to go to the gym after all, but moved to the edge of the room and slid to sitting with his back against the wall to watch the fight.

  
It was Natasha who made the first move, taking a sudden step towards Steve and grabbing his left fist with her right and twisting it anti-clockwise. Steve responded by throwing his left fist at her ribs, but she caught that in her free hand, and pulled it up around his other already trapped fist. His face contorted a little but he flexed his biceps and moved his elbows outward, then brought his right foot behind Natasha’s legs in order to sweep them out from under her.

  
It didn’t go his way.

  
As soon as Steve’s leg was near enough, Natasha stepped backwards onto it, flattening his foot against the floor in a moment of agony, then launched herself above Steve, positioning her hands so that they were on his forearms, enabling her to do a handstand on him. She bent her legs backwards over her head and suddenly she was sitting on Steve’s shoulders, then slid further down his back so that her calves were locked firmly around his neck. Steve staggered backwards a few paces, then tried to kick Natasha, but she wrapped her arms around his legs, and just as he began to topple over backwards she released his neck, so that when he hit the floor she was in an upright ball holding his legs together.

Steve recovered quickly after a brief exclamation of “Ah! Dangit,” and kicked upwards, catching Natasha’s shoulder. She jerked back a little, but quickly stood and applied the heel of her hand to his sternum, then bent his hand backwards when he involuntarily jerked it towards the bruised area. Steve’s hand came crashing into the inside of Natasha’s elbow and she yelped as her arm buckled, but turned her fall to her advantage by headbutting Steve. Natasha reeled back a little from the impact, and though Steve himself was stunned, he made to get up - only to find that she was crouched by his chest, with one leg thrust between his to prevent him from getting up. She placed two fingers on Steve’s neck and pressed lightly.

  
“Do you yield?”

  
Steve groaned. “God dammit Natasha! Yes, I yield.”

  
Loki’s eyes widened in amazement at the sight of such a slight woman doing something like that. He was stunned beyond belief – the Lady Sif was known for her strength and skill in battle, but Natasha’s prowess was something else entirely.

  
Loki suddenly realized he was clapping, and quickly stopped, but they were already looking at him, Natasha smirking and Steve grinning good naturedly.  
“I though you were here for the gym?” Steve panted to Loki as Natasha helped him to his feet. He gingerly pressed on his chest and winced. “Another nice bruise to add to my collection of injuries from you,” He said wryly to Natasha, who laughed.

  
Loki watched interestedly as this exchange went on.  
 _The mortals are so relaxed with each other… they’re so laid back, there is no serious competition between them._

  
“I did come for the gym,” He admitted. “But, I must say, my curiosity got the better of me… May I?” He gestured first to Steve, then to the middle of the room. Steve looked taken aback at the turn of events, but accepted them all the same.

  
“Yeah, sure… if you want.” He was a little miffed. Loki had not been there a full day, and he wanted to go head to head with an Avenger?

  
Loki walked to the middle of the room and shook his legs out, preparing for the bout. He regretted that the tight jeans were the only clothing he had to wear, but they would have to do.

  
Steve took up a boxing stance, but Loki held his hands at waist height, as if he was cradling a sphere of something between his hands. Natasha called out for them to start, and Steve lunged at Loki, who nimbly stepped aside. This pattern continued for several minutes, with Loki throwing punches and kicks as well as dodging Steve’s. Loki’s hand to hand combat skills were not quite up to his satisfaction, but Loki ended the fight all the same by slipping under Steve’s arm and holding two fingers lightly on a pressure point there.

  
“Not bad… for a mortal.” Loki said to Steve as Natasha walked towards them, a look of growing surprise there.

  
“We don’t have time for another round before the others get here, then Clint will want to practice with targets.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “We may as well give you the tour now, before Tony decides to do it himself. Come on, you.” She jerked her head at the elevator and started walking, leaving Loki with no choice but to follow.

  
When they entered the elevator, Steve pressed the button for floor 30, and began explaining as they started descending.

  
“The first two floors are for vehicles, the next eight or so are administrative offices, stuff like that, then the next four are storage floors. The other six up until twenty are Tony’s space, so no one really knows what’s there, as you need a passcode to get into them. We’re headed to floor thirty, which is where our area officially starts.”

  
“What about the ten floors between there?” Loki asked.

  
“Empty.” Natasha replied. They’re just for decoration from the outside, really.”

  
The elevator dinged, and Loki followed the two out, onto a floor made of a spongy material.

  
“The Gymnastics room. We just call it the Nat room, though, since I’m the only one who seems to use it.” Natasha said, shrugging.

  
“No, I’ve seen Bruce in here occasionally,” Steve said, from where he stood next to Loki. “Although, he wasn’t doing an awful lot of gymnastics. More like calisthenics.”

  
“It’s called yoga now, Steve, don’t confuse him.” Natasha pointed at Loki as she passed back between them on the way to the lift.

  
“Right, sorry. You okay being called Loki?” Steve asked.

  
Loki was inwardly touched at his consideration. “Yes, Loki is fine.” He replied.

  
The tour of the tower continued for another hour, as the trio stepped out on each of the twenty five floors Tony allowed them to occupy. Loki was particularly intrigued by the cinema room on floor thirty-four, and the target range, which took up the whole of floor forty.

  
They were soon back into known territory, with the arena room on floor fifty, and the pool that took up both floors fifty one and two. They didn’t stop at floor fifty three where everyone slept, but did pause at fifty-four to show Loki the common room.

  
“This is where we do most of the relaxing, ‘cause Tony thinks upstairs is too formal.” Natasha said, sweeping her arms around the room, taking in the multiple couches, screens, low tables and occasional gaming device.

  
“I must say, I have to agree with him when I compare the two spaces.” Loki grinned at her, and to his surprise her mouth twitched a little in response.  
 _A trick like last time?_ He wondered, _Or genuine? She seems like me, the rare smile type…_

  
Steve checked his watch and cleared his throat. “We should head up, it’s 10:30 so the others should be awake.”

  
Loki nodded and entered the lift first this time, tentatively pressing the button for the floor above. Steve clapped him on the back for it, but quickly removed his hand when Loki shrugged it off and shot him a glare.

  
Natasha noticed it all, and filed it away that Loki didn’t enjoy physical contact for no reason.

  
The doors opened, and Loki did a double take – he wasn’t expecting Tony to be wearing the tight singlet and _very_ tight shorts he had slept in. Loki was suddenly dropped back into a memory:

  
_“No drink? You sure? I’m having one.” Tony’s arrogance was refreshing for Loki, all the others had given in so easily._

  
The memory skipped forward again.

  
_He clawed himself up into a sitting position on the stairs and looked up to where the Avengers stood over him._   
_“If it’s all the same to you… I’ll have that drink now.” He managed a grimace through the cuts on his face, then noticed that Tony was trying not to smile at him. Something inside him lifted a little, to know that someone could relate to his humour – and the fact that Tony had predicted where Loki would go…_

  
Loki shook his head and quickly stepped out of the elevator, skirting around Tony who stretched and yawned.

  
“Is it normal for him to parade in so little clothing?” Loki demanded of Thor, who was gulping down a cup of the revolting drink they called coffee.

  
“For him? Yes.” Thor left it at that, as Tony sashayed over to the table, deliberately shaking his hips.

  
“If you’re going to talk about me, can I at least have a say?” Tony asked indignantly, finally sitting down and hiding his lower half.

  
“No,” Natasha called from the couch, where she was kicking Clint awake again. When Clint caught sight of Loki standing by Thor, he quickly whipped out a pair of dark glasses and put them on, scowling.

  
_What kind of madhouse have I landed in?_ Loki thought to himself, as he sat in the chair between Thor and Banner. _And why did Tony have that effect on me?_

  
He had no idea that Tony had been thinking much along the same lines last night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I know, not a lot is happening, but here, have a teaser: I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN AHEAD, SO IT'S OKAY. More sexual tension coming soon (hopefully a lot sooner than last time, you have no idea how sorry I am about that)


	5. Breaking The Ice (And Bones)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki earns his badge of trust, and Tony finds himself in a spot of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I can't even say how sorry I am about this being so late. I keep getting dragged down with other stuff, and I've completely given up with trying to write on schedule.  
> I got you all this long chapter as a sort of sorry present though.
> 
> Again, I am unbelievably sorry, and I SWEAR I will try to write faster (I am so unproductive majority of the time)

Jane had obviously visited Thor sometime between breakfast and lunch, because he dropped an enormous bulging bag at Loki’s feet and said, “For you.”

It was more Midgardian clothing, a piece for every occasion, it seemed.

“Lady Natasha said you were ill equipped to train in your current clothing,” Thor said, gesturing at Loki’s jeans and shirt, that was a little tight across the shoulders, now he thought about it.

“She also mentioned something about you wrestling with Steve.” Thor said, his tone heavy with disapproval. “You’re here for punishment, Loki. Here for redemption – not to start another fight! There is still a containment facility here, you know. Father told me about having to put you in the one in Asgard.”

Loki wasn’t surprised at this. He should have known that word of his early-day rage would reach Thor, even on Midgard. Just the thought of that room with it’s walls of glass, set in the bowels of Asgard made him go cold. He had been left there with nothing but a small table, a bed and a chair until his last two days in Asgard, when he was permitted to return to his personal chambers where Odin visited him. No person had visited him until then, and though he enjoyed solitude, this was the cruelest of punishments he had endured yet: to be left alone with himself, and his actions. During the day, he had taken to singing often, and talked to himself, but at night, no matter how hard he tried, whenever he slept the faces of those he had betrayed came to him.

Even now, he was still plagued by visions of Thanos craning his head, and dissecting him like an insect.

It was most upsetting for one of his intellect.

Loki breathed in to calm himself, and addressed Thor as calmly as he could. “That was in the beginning. I am not so… raw, now.”

“That may be so, but you are still not fully at peace.” Thor passed a hand over his face, and checked that they were still alone in the lounge room.

“I want you to come with us tonight. Director Fury wants us to look over a place, huge energy spikes in the area – I think it would be good for you, to get to know the others better.”

Loki was taken aback. Why did Thor still trust him? And after all the damage he had done… some small inner corner of his heart twinged at Thor’s unconditional acceptance, but Loki had learned long ago not to succumb to twinges.

“I will consider it.” He replied coolly. “When will I be permitted to walk freely without being accompanied like a child?” Loki allowed his irritation to show in his voice at this point. It was still only his second day, but he was tired of people waiting for him outside the lavatory door, or asking Jarvis to get someone so he could fix himself some food from the kitchen, only two floors above. He could have used his magic to teleport himself there, but he was acutely aware of the fact that Heimdall would be watching him in the first few days, and Loki wanted to make a good impression on the team in order to make his own deductions about them later.

“When the others trust you enough. It is not for me to say.” Thor replied quietly as the lift doors slid open, and a cacophony of voices floated out, accompanied soon after by their owners. Predictably, Tony was in front, and laughing at something one of the others had said. It must have been Clint, because he stopped giggling long enough to choke out: “And then- then I said to him as he was spitting out his teeth on the floor – ‘You know what? _Bite me_ , then’!”

Everyone except Natasha proceeded to break into raucous peals of laughter again, and Tony even doubled over clutching his side.

Loki tilted his head a little, and a small crease appeared between his eyebrows. He watched Tony more closely, and was surprised at what he saw: Tony was taller than he appeared, and it showed when he was doubled over. His back was stretched out more, and his legs locked back, so that even if he didn’t physically become taller, Loki could still see it in his muscles. Loki then realized he had been thinking about Tony’s muscles, and his eyes were roaming freely over Tony’s body – especially his jeans.

If Loki had been the type to blush, he would have.

Steve went over to the fridge, and began taking out sandwich ingredients, enough for himself, Bruce, Natasha and Thor. He looked askance at Loki. “D’you want one?”

Loki nodded. “That would be most satisfying, thank you.”

Steve smiled a little, then returned to the fridge. He closed the door as Natasha brought over a stack of five plates and placed them out on the bench beside him, then laid out bread on each of them. Bruce was on the other side of Steve, arranging the different fillings into a line as Steve handed them to him.

On the other side of the kitchen, Tony was leaning against a counter as he watched something turn around in the microwave, and Clint merely surveyed Loki through his dark glasses, as he gnawed on a granola bar.

It intrigued Loki that these people that he had scattered, not four months ago were now working and living together. Like a true team.

“Come help yourself,” Bruce announced, as he loaded up on fillings for his sandwich.

Loki made his way to the counter, grabbed a plate and took his place in line behind Natasha. He was about to tap her on the shoulder when he remembered that it was something he didn’t enjoy, so she probably wouldn’t either.

“Natasha… Is there something I can call you that is not quite so long?” He enquired conversationally, putting several slices of cheese on his bread as the line moved along.

“Why are you asking me? Everyone else just says Nat.”

“Because it’s not something I enjoy, when people address me incorrectly. I assumed that since we are alike in our dispassion for casual physical contact, you may also dislike this. Am I right?” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he completed his sandwich.

“…Yes. And yes again, you can call me Tasha. But not loudly.” She pointed a finger at him threateningly. “This is purely for convenience. We are not friends.” She clarified, and stalked over to the far side of the table to sit beside Clint, who still had his dark glasses trained on Loki.

Unfortunately due to his place at the end of the line, the only available seat was next to Tony. As Loki took his place there, his leg brushed Tony’s and he almost dropped his plate from the jolt of electricity that seemed to flow through him. He set his meal down rather loudly, and notice that Tony had jerked forward a little at his touch too, and a blush was rising in his cheeks.

_What the hell was that?_ Tony thought to himself, taking a large bite of his pie to mask his confusion and sudden desire. He had felt the muscles in Loki’s leg clench immediately, and abruptly thoughts of what Loki’s legs would look like naked came into Tony’s mind. He forced them down with thoughts of Pepper, and the fact that she was coming over to visit him later this afternoon.

Loki merely kept his eyes cast down and ate his sandwich in silence but was still unnaturally aware of how small the distance between their two legs were. It was hard for him to swallow at one point, when Tony shifted position in his seat and his leg came very close to Loki’s again. When lunch had ended, Loki practically jumped at the chance to get a ride downstairs with Natasha and Bruce. Tasha raised an eyebrow a little at him, but he chose to ignore her.

Back in his room, Loki occupied himself with more texts on Midgard and the ways of their peculiar planet. He made himself a mental note to ask for some more recent works on the place, and firmly kept Tony out of his mind, while upstairs Tony waited for Pepper.

He was at the bar, pouring himself a glass of scotch when she walked in, still dressed in a skirt suit she had presumably worn on the plane.

“Hi,” Tony called, and waved a little. “You want one?” He asked, pointing to his glass as she approached.

“Tony, it’s not even two o’clock in the afternoon and you’re drinking already?” Pepper kissed him, then looked disapproving.

“Hey, every hour is happy hour when you’re here.” He grinned, making Pepper roll her eyes.

“I wonder what you do when I’m gone,” She murmured, more to herself than Tony.

“Generally, save the world, and then plot what to do with _you_.” He kept his arms around her waist, trapping her against his chest. Pepper wrinkled her nose in exasperation.

“You are terrible,” She pushed herself away from his chest, and Tony let her go. He knew not to push his luck with Pepper.

“So, I was thinking, there’s a function tonight for the top ten businesses in New York-“ Pepper began but stopped when Tony looked apologetic.

“Can’t sorry. The big man’s called a meet, apparently there’s a group of thugs that need dealing with out east. And, you know how much I love business functions, I’m so cut up about it…” Tony opened his eyes wide, in boyish innocence, but Pepper smacked him on the shoulder anyway.

“You should be more responsible! you may not be CEO, but you are still the face of this company!” She chided, her disapproving look returning. “That’ll be the fourth one in two months you’ve missed. Sometimes I think you have Fury plan these meets on purpose.”

“Stark? Getting _me_ to do things?” A voice came from near the elevator, which neither Tony nor Pepper had heard open. Nick Fury wore his look of general distaste, but with an eyebrow raise at Pepper. “You surprise me, Miss Potts.”

“Please, just Pepper.”

Tony had been mumbling under his breath a string of indiscernible words, along the lines of ‘Oh God here he is, now what, I bet ten to one that we’re leaving now instead of later,’ but when Pepper nudged his arm he stopped.

“Fury! Nice to see you treat my tower like your own,” Tony greeted the somber dark-skinned figure.

“Well, considering that I paid for most of the damages, and that you house two of my agents here, I would say that I own at least the top three floors.” Fury’s single brown eye stared solidly back at Tony, who simply shrugged.

“It’s in the paperwork. Bottom two actually, and none of the property on them.” Tony tilted his head and grinned fiendishly. “Jarvis, tell the others to get their asses up here.”

“Of course. In those words, or with more finesse?”

“Just do it,” Tony waved a hand idly.

A few minutes later, the rest of the team arrived with Loki trailing slightly behind them. Tony looked him up and down, wondering what they would do with him while they were out.

“Director,” Steve was the first to address Fury, followed by Clint and Natasha, who merely nodded and said “Sir,” in an undertone.

Loki knew Fury was not one to be trifled with, so merely remained in his spot at the back of the group.

“Team,” Fury turned away from Tony, who looked at Pepper to gauge her reaction to this. Her head was tilted slightly, with a tiny crease between her brows. He had noticed it there a lot more recently, but hadn’t said anything about it. He knew that the events in New York a couple of months earlier had shaken her up a lot, because it had shaken him too. He still woke up in terrified cold sweats in the middle of the night, because he was falling in his dreams – but this time there was no one to save him. There was just him and the full darkness of space, falling towards the wormhole. As a solution he slept as little as possible, but he knew it wasn’t a foolproof plan and sooner or later he would have to face the nightmares again.

Tony tuned back in just in time to hear Fury dismiss the group.

“…It’s time to suit up.”

As the others traipsed away, Tony turned to Pepper and kissed her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t wait up.” He held his hand to the side of her face briefly, then turned and walked out onto the balcony where he had left the suit. Pepper watched it’s edges close around her lover like a second skin and felt a strange sense of isolation as he saluted her before blasting off the balcony.

Pepper began to pray.

 

 

Loki had decided that the best thing to wear, would be his armour. Even though he could have called it to appear upon him upstairs he still went to his room to get into it,  as he thought it best to play along with the mortals. He was about to ask Jarvis to get someone to come get him, when he realized the door was not quite properly closed.

_No… they can’t have forgotten it – I’m practically a maximum security prisoner here – so_ why _is that door open?_

He glided closer to the door, the smooth leather of his armour making no sound – the Aesir knew their craft far too well for that. He used thought to push the door open completely, and there was no one waiting on the other side. It had to be said, Loki was more than a little surprised.

_They can’t trust me already – certainly not after one day?_ Setting his thoughts aside, he strode into the hall at the exact moment Steve walked out of his room clad in his distinctive blue costume, but lacking the shield. Steve began walking towards the elevator, and as he passed, Loki fell into step beside him.

“I am glad that it is not in battle that we meet like this again,” Loki said with a small trace of sincerity – for a mortal, Rogers packed a good punch, not that Loki would tell him. Steve grinned at Loki, tapping on each person’s door as he passed it, reminding Loki strongly of a mother hen.

He went up with Steve to the roof of the building and they were joined shortly by the others bar Tony. Clint averted his eyes from Loki, as he wasn’t wearing his dark glasses. “The jet should be here any second.” He said, casting a wary look over his shoulder at Loki.

“Is he coming too?” Bruce asked, glancing at Loki also.

“N-“

“Yes.” Thor cut across Clint. “I think it would be good for us to get familiar with my brother.”

There was a short silence, before Natasha broke it. “He’s got a point.”

No sooner had she finished speaking when the jet touched down across the roof from them, and the Avengers plus Loki piled inside before it took off again.

Natasha handed Loki a small device, which he handled with some trepidation until Bruce subtly pointed at his ear, which contained one of the silvery objects, and Loki understood it was how the team communicated at distance.

Several minutes later, the jet began descending, and Steve raised his voice over the roar of the engine to address them all.

“Alright team, we’ve got one more on board today but that doesn’t mean squat to the mission. We’ve got Stark scoping the area – there’s a mob boss trading in B-grade plutonium weaponry who’s based here in the East. Warehouse 12, and don’t get too close to the crates, apparently his product is more fragile than he makes out: A container ship blew sky high when a couple of containers of this tipped over. Clint, I want you with me on the roof, keeping an eye on things. Thor and Bruce, you’re our battering rams, stay back until I call. Nat, Loki, you’re on ground infiltration and taking out squealers.”

Loki was taken aback at his inclusion in the proceedings, but he wasn’t one to reject the hand of trust, especially when it was thrust out under these circumstances. He nodded his understanding and moved next to Natasha.

“You try any tricks, I will take you out. If you in any way threaten the success of this mission I will personally see to it that you don’t live to see the light of day again.” She growled, glaring him down. In spite of himself, Loki was alarmed. He made a note not to cross Natasha when she was angry – who knew what the feisty redhead could achieve?

“I understand. You have my word.” He said, nodding his head once.

“Good,” Natasha surveyed him critically out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t want to have to injure you. You look useful in these types of situations.”

Loki understood that this was a compliment, as he too was not the freest giver of praise.

“Thank you. I did not want to have to injure you to save myself.” He tried returning her banter experimentally, and he was rewarded with a smile.

“Oh please, save it for _after_ I’ve rescued your ass.” Natasha rolled her eyes at him, then looked slightly confused. She was much too free around Loki for her usual self – eye rolling was the sort of thing she reserved for Clint in his dimmer moments, not a god who had showed up two days ago. She supposed it was because she found him so relatable – she had noticed his subtle observing, as he had also noticed hers – he didn’t like being casually touched, being called unnecessarily short names, and just didn’t enjoy people in general, much like herself. This reflection struck some chord buried deep within Natasha, and she decided in that moment that she liked Loki, as a friend. She had never really had a true friend before, not even Clint – He was more of a partner to her, she valued him but they did not share much in common -  Loki on the other hand, was from somewhere completely different, brought up one way, acted another, and yet was a whole other person from either personality. Natasha stopped herself there: She wasn’t going to go down a path where she could no longer distinguish whether she was thinking about herself or someone else, not before a mission. She could save her sentiment for later.

“Okay Nat, Loki, start moving. Third ground floor door on the north face, guard’s been taken out.” Steve’s voice came over the earpieces to both Natasha and Loki. They looked at each other briefly before moving out towards said door, Natasha slipping inside when she reached it. She left the door ajar a fraction for Loki, but he didn’t come through after her.

A muffled thud somewhere to her left made her turn, and she was astonished by what she saw: Loki crouched beside the prone form of what was probably a guard, unconscious or dead, it didn’t matter which. Even as she watched, Loki closed his eyes then disappeared. A choking sound from the walkway above her drew her eyes just in time to see Loki laying the body of another guard gently down on the ground. It was when Loki disappeared again that it clicked for her - He was teleporting.

She pushed back the wave of emotions that attempted to assault her brain and stalked catlike into the warehouse proper. She buzzed Loki over the earpieces before zoning in on an unsuspecting guard.

“Loki, stick to the top level, I’ve got the ground covered.”

“Natasha, we’re sending in Thor and Bruce now, someone spotted Tony scoping and set off the alarm via radio.” There was some splintering and then an agonized shriek in the background of Steve’s voice. “And for God’s sake, _stay away from the crates!”_

“I copy,” She said quickly before sliding over to the guard and punching him in the kidneys, hard enough to make one of them rupture and put him out of action. She sent him an upper cut under the chin to knock him out for good measure. Three more guards were dispatched similarly, before Natasha heard a bellow from the other end of the warehouse and decided it was time for her to move out.

“Loki! I’m heading upstairs,” She said as she delicately jumped onto a forklift and gripping the rail of the walkway above, swung herself up and over it onto the metal grating.

“Not bad,” Loki said from behind her, and she spun around in a defensive stance.

“Shit Loki, don’t do that! When were you going to tell us that you could teleport?” She straightened up and crossed her arms in clear disapproval.

Loki shrugged and leaned against the bannister of the walkway. “Can’t give away all my secrets now, can I?”

Another roar interrupted them, and a large green figure rushed by underneath, while a blur of red whizzed through the air, just skimming over the crates.

“They’re heading to the west side… that must be where the boss is hiding it out. Let’s go.” Natasha made to move away, but Loki took hold of her arm. As she turned to admonish him, she suddenly noticed that they were now in a sparsely furnished room, probably where employees of the mob boss relaxed around shifts, and that the roaring was now somewhere above and behind them.

“You… teleported? How did you know to go here?” Natasha was bamboozled.

“One of the thugs was thinking about it before I took him down. I took the liberty of getting a more precise location before he became… unavailable.” Loki let go of her arm and started searching the room. “It’s empty – wait,” He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, moving around the dusty couch to the far wall, and placed his hand flat on it and pushed gently. There was a satisfying ‘click’ and part of the wall swung forwards, revealing a dank corridor into the heart of the building.

Natasha immediately touched a hand to her earpiece. “Does anybody copy? Loki and I have found a passage into the den, entering in three, stat. Does anybody copy?”

Some of this jargon was lost on Loki, but he assumed the others understood it, because a few moments later a reply crackled through his earpiece too.

“Tony reporting for duty Nat, I copy. Where are you and Shakespeare?”

Loki repressed a shiver at having Tony’s voice right in his ear. Now was not the time for emotions. Loki cut off Natasha just as she was about to reply.

“Stark, it’s Loki. Orient yourself above the roof on the west side, I am going to send out a beacon. We are directly below it, but if you are going to blast through as is your fashion, be mindful of the crates on the floor above us.” He held his sceptre up so that the tip of it was almost touching the ceiling, and it began to glow a light green. Loki blinked slowly, then lowered the sceptre again.

“The beacon will last for as long as it takes Stark to find- “ He stopped abruptly. “I suggest we move.” He took three steps backwards, and Natasha followed suit, just as Tony burst through the ceiling. He stood up, and chunks of plaster and cement fell to the floor like so many pieces of confetti.

“Thanks for the heads up on the crates,” Tony nodded a little at Loki in thanks, grinning, but remembered that the helmet was on. Loki’s face remained impassive as he inclined his head back.

“Right boys, let’s go.” Natasha stood at the entrance to the passageway.

The three of them progressed carefully down the hall, Tony’s armour clanking with every step. They turned a corner, and could see a brighter light at the end, but Loki threw out an arm and stopped them.

Any normal man would have failed in his task to stop Iron Man in his tracks, but Loki appeared to have something along the lines of Thor’s strength so when Tony walked into his arm Loki didn’t budge. Natasha needed no arm of warning; her acute senses dictated that if Loki stopped abruptly she should too. His hand rested right on the arc reactor in the centre of Tony’s chest, and Tony’s stomach fluttered a little. He couldn’t feel Loki’s touch through the suit, but he could imagine it: The coolness of his fingers, and the way his palm pressed down firmly, and how his nails would dig into Tony’s flesh…

“Shh! There are four men ahead.” Loki whispered, interrupting Tony’s thoughts.

“What? How do you know?” Natasha hissed.

In response Loki only tapped his temple, and both his companions took this to mean that he had sensed their thoughts ahead. Tony was horrified by this and quickly stopped thinking about Loki’s hands, instead thinking about rainbows and kittens and happy things.

“I’ll handle them.” Natasha announced, and stalked forward into the light. Several muffled shouts were heard, a few thumps and then silence. Natasha appeared in the light again and beckoned them forward.

Loki allowed Tony to walk forwards again, having held him in place to stop him clanking and giving them away.

As they joined Natasha in the room, she pulled them into the shadows.

“There’s another room upstairs, the boss is in there at his desk. There’s a glass window looking out into here, so we can’t make too much movement.”

Loki craned his head to see what she described, and quickly drew it in again as a thug holding a machine gun passed by the window: The boss’ personal guards.

“Do you want the boss alive?” Loki asked quietly, his eyes steely with the anticipation of a fight. He wasn’t going to use his mind for the boss – it was taxing using his telepathy, even for one with such a broad mind as Loki.

“Yes, we need him if we’re going to squeeze him. He probably has friends in low places all over the world,” Tony replied, interested at this new light in Loki’s eyes… there was a different kind of fire in them than before. “That’s why I’m going to take him.” He finished.

Loki whipped his head around and glared at Tony.

“What? No you are not, Stark. You couldn’t hit a bilgesnipe at three paces… He’s mine.” Loki grinned menacingly at the window again and made to stand, but Tony grabbed his arm and hauled him down.

Loki’s insides fluttered a little at Tony’s audacity, and he had the oddest notion of pleasure at Tony’s touch.

“Listen Shakespeare, you think you’re so hot, but there are others more suited to the job. I heard about your little fight with Stevie this morning – sure, you beat him, but he’s been on ice for seventy years now! I would call that a fluke if anything… Now, I’m going to go up and take out the guards, then-“

“Sorry, what was that you said about having an ego? I am not the one whose face is plastered all over this pathetic city… and what better way to get greater publicity than to plant your tower in the centre?” Loki retorted, shoving Tony’s arm away.

Tony lifted the face piece of the suit, the better to glare at Loki.

“No, don’t make this about me! I’m not the one showing off all my telekinesis for everyone, Mr ‘I’m so mysterious’-“

“At least I actually have power! What have you without the suit-“

There was a muffled thud and a sickening crunch that interrupted the two, who peered above the boxes there were behind. A body had fallen out of the now-broken window and struck the ground, and another short screech was abruptly cut off by gunfire from the room above ground. Natasha was nowhere to be found next to them.

The gunfire ceased, and there was a squeal, before silence and Natasha poked her head out of the window.

“Put them away yet? You two are worse than children, honestly. Get up here and help me carry the boss down.” She instructed.

Loki and Tony pointedly ignored each other, and Tony used the jet repulsors to fly through the window hole, leaving Loki to make his own way up.

“What, no teleport?” Natasha asked when he arrived via swinging through the broken window.

“No… it drains me quickly.” Loki replied a little haughtily.

He stood up a little straighter then. “More men approaching… and they are armed. Quite heavily too.” He frowned for a second. “Very heavily.”

He finally looked at Tony again. “Get going. Take the boss with you, and get him to the Director. We’ll handle this.” He said, taking a step towards to Natasha who cast him a sidelong glance.

She had a sneaking suspicion about Loki’s opinion of Tony… After all, it was she who had tricked him into revealing his plan, which _had_ revolved around Stark Tower.

“Well, I know when I’m not wanted,” Tony said nonchalantly, and heaved the boss over his shoulder. “Catch you later, Cowboy.” Tony called, and aimed one hand at the ceiling, blasting a hole before he flew through with the ringleader’s limp body slung over one shoulder.

“Huh, Cowboy,” Natasha snorted, nodding approval and smirking at Loki’s helmet with its long gleaming horns.

Loki gave her a skeptical look in return, then faced the stairwell as footsteps echoed up it.

The battle between the thugs and Natasha and Loki was short lived – the pair used each other for support, and worked together better than either could have anticipated.

“Duck,” Natasha called, leveled and fired her gun at the space where Loki’s head had been a fraction of a second before.

“Stay,” He called in return, and sent a bolt of energy from his staff from between her legs from where he was bent so that he could see the backs of his own knees.

The fight was soon over, and Loki used what he could to teleport them out on to the tarmac in front of the warehouse. Steve, Clint and Thor soon met them there.

“Good job guys.” Steve praised them. “Bruce’s already waiting by the jet with the boss. Tony’s on his way back to us to check for stragglers before SHIELD comes in to clean up.”

Sure enough, the dry buzz of the suit could soon be heard approaching, and everybody looked up expectantly at the sky, watching Tony draw closer over the rooftops of the industrial precinct.

There was a tremendous clang, and Tony abruptly fell out of the sky, crashing through the concrete roof of the warehouse.

“Shit!” Clint swore. “Subsonic missiles – they’re untraceable on the ground, and can’t be heard in the air.”

“Tony!” Steve shouted desperately through his earpiece. He turned to the others, who already knew from their own earpieces what he was going to say. “No response. We’ve got to get out of here, that’s a missile-“

“Hey guys, just leave me here then,” Tony’s dry sarcasm came through the system into everyone’s ears.

“Tony!” Steve shouted again, pressing a hand to his device. “Where are you?”

“I’m uh… oh _shit_ ,” He groaned. He had just looked around to see where he was in the building, and wasn’t liking what he saw at all. “I’m on the second floor, I busted though the third, but I’m sitting in the remains of multiple crates.”

Steve swore quietly, and even Natasha looked a little worried.

“Tony, that stuff is volatile – has the missile exploded? You need to get out _now_ , if you even breathe too heavily you’re going to spontaneously combust.”

“Yeah, you don’t think I’ve noticed?” Tony replied angrily, and struggled in the suit.

_I need to have an easy release system in here,_ He thought miserably, as he managed to pry the chestplate off himself. “One problem Cap,” He buzzed again. “The suit’s out – it’s covered in whatever the hell was in the crates – so I’ve got no way to you. _Fuck!”_ Steve flinched from the volume in his ear, and noticed that several of the others had too. “I think I’ve broken something…” Tony moaned, and decided not to wrench his other shoulder out of the suit, the way he had to with his left one. There was a dull ache in his abdomen somewhere, but he managed to stand with the help of a nearby pallet jack.

“Tony,” Steve’s worried voice came in his ear. “There’s smoke coming from your crash site… is that you?”

Tony looked up, and started moving. “No, there’s a fire on the floor above. Guys, stop stalling and go! I’ll make my way out, I’ll be fi-“ Tony was cut off mid sentence by a resounding explosion from the floor above that pressed him onto the debris already scattered from his fall. There was another blast shortly after the first, and Tony rolled out of the way of a falling girder.

“Go already! You’ll be caught in the blasts, just wait for five at the jet before you fly.” Tony shouted into the earpieces of the hushed group standing outside the warehouse.

“I will return with Tony,” Thor announced, and started swinging Mjölnir to build his momentum. “I am immune to the radiation-“

“No, come back with the rest of us.” Clint instructed, placing a hand on Thor’s arm. “Even if you can’t be touched by the radiation, you’ll have to go right through the blasts to get to Tony, and you’re not immune to shrapnel.” He reasoned. “Give Tony his time, and then we’re going.”

Clint started the jog back to the jet, and everyone followed.

“Brother, come away! We must go!” Thor bellowed, when he noticed Loki was still facing the door to the warehouse.

Loki turned. “Five minutes!” He shouted at them, and the group was powerless to do anything as Loki’s form flickered for a second and then vanished.

“No!” Thor’s scream echoed even inside the warehouse, but Loki ignored him and the explosion that made the bannisters on the walkway shake, and started running up the nearest stairs. He had only seen the ground floor, so was unable to teleport directly to the second. He emerged underneath another walkway that ran around the middle of the room, as on the floor below. He sprinted up the stairs onto it, leather and cape billowing out behind him. He quickly scanned the room, and focused on the area where the ceiling had caved in, reappearing beside Tony’s abandoned armour.

“Stark?” He called, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. “Stark!”

Loki leaned on the same pallet jack that Tony had used, and caught his breath. He was running on reserve strength now, and what for? He had no reason to rescue Tony, but… he wanted to. He didn’t want this man who possessed so much genius, and character to die before Loki had a chance to talk to him. Admittedly, he was pigheaded and narcissistic, but so was Loki – even if he didn’t like to admit it. There was something about Tony that utterly frustrated and fascinated Loki, some aspect of him that Loki just couldn’t place. And as much as it confused Loki, he found Tony popping into his thoughts with more and more regularity, and he was denying it as hard as he could, but Loki knew deep down that whatever it was about Stark that he couldn’t decipher, was _very_ attractive.

“Loki?” Loki spun at the sound of his name. _Weak, but at least he’s conscious,_ He thought.

“Stark!” Loki shouted, and leaped over the splintered remains of Tony’s crash site, ducking as another explosion rocked the floor. He vaulted over a crate in his way, and almost stood on Tony’s prone form on the floor.

“You…?” Tony mumbled sluggishly, and Loki saw that the right side of his face was blistered and bleeding, and he was holding one shoulder awkwardly.

“Not now, Stark. We can talk later. I’m going to lift you, brace yourself,” Loki warned, slipping his arms around Tony, one under his knees, and the other across his shoulders. Tony hissed and tensed up as Loki lifted him, then relaxed and pressed a hand onto his abdomen.

“Go, I’ll last.” He gasped.

Loki nodded down at him, and started running trying his best not to jolt Tony too much, but he could see that every move was hurting Tony.

“Stark, I’m going to teleport us to the jet, understand?” Loki realized this would be the only option, as the fire had now spread to the second floor, and was consuming the debris and crates behind him with sporadic echoing bangs.

“The suit…” Tony muttered, one hand creeping up and gripping Loki’s shoulder tightly.

Loki shook his head. “The fire is taking it now.”

Tony sighed raggedly, squeezing Loki’s shoulder for a fraction.

Loki closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, concentrating on the spot where the jet was… He staggered forward and caught himself before he fell and dropped Tony on the asphalt. Steve and Natasha ran out of the belly of the jet and helped him walk up the ramp carrying Tony. He was only just holding on to consciousness.

“Stark, we’re in the jet. You’ll be fine now… I’ve got you.” Tony heard someone murmur to him in Loki’s voice, but he was confused… Loki didn’t say things like that. He opened his eyes for a moment to see if the voice was lying, and saw the walls of the jet in his peripheral vision, but he was distracted by the face in the foreground.

The last thing he saw before he passed out were the startlingly green concerned eyes of Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... How was it? Good? Bad? Enjoying the tension ? :P I'm already partway through the next chapter, so hopefully there won't be such a long delay again (let's not talk about this okay?).   
> Tell me what you thought in the comments - feedback always gets me going, and it's good to know what you appreciate. :)


	6. That Sinking Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony considers sneaking back into his tower, and Pepper decides that it's high time for a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've given up apologizing for my delay in chapters, they'll appear when they do. This was the main thing putting me off writing however, so now that this is out of the way, I think things will flow much more smoothly! :)

Tony Stark knew there was something wrong when he was considering sneaking into his own tower. It was the day after the gang incident, and SHIELD had given Tony the clear to go earlier that afternoon, after keeping him overnight on the Helicarrier for observation – much to his disgust. The fall through the roof and the subsequent explosions were more damaging than he had realized. He had two broken ribs, a fractured thigh bone, multiple burn wounds and a dislocated shoulder, which Natasha had popped back in on the jet to the Helicarrier.

Tony was still a little hazy on the details of his escape, remembering only Loki’s concerned eyes, but he intended to find out. The problem still remained that Pepper was going to kill him. He’d promised her that he would be back safely last night, and what with him not showing up, on top of the fact that he would now have to face her while injured was not an encouraging idea.

“Tony, heading in to your place now.” Clint’s voice buzzed over the jet’s intercom. Since they used the jet so often SHIELD had practically given it to them, with a few modifications such as the large ‘A’ painted on the side (courtesy of Agent Hill, who had insisted that it be done in Coulson’s memory).

As they touched down on the roof of Stark tower, Tony slipped his arm back into its sling, and waited for the ramp to drop down. He exited the jet quickly, leaving Clint and Steve to tidy it up. He had bigger problems than them.

“ _Tony!”_ Pepper shrieked as she caught sight of him as she was coming out of the elevator. “Oh my god, I thought you were _dead!_ SHIELD said they were keeping you overnight, and Natasha said you’d lost the suit – that there was an _explosion_ -“

“Pepper, I’m here. I’m fine.” He cut her off mid-sentence, otherwise she would go on all afternoon.

“Oh _Tony!_ ” Pepper carefully fell into his arms and began to sob. Tony stroked her hair with his good arm, waved Clint and Steve on and held her until she collected herself.

“I-I’m just… so _happy_ th-that you’re a- _alive,”_ She gasped, shaking a little as she extracted herself from the circle of his arms.

“Shh, I’m here,” Tony put his hand on the side of her face, but she moved away from him. Tony let his hand fall back to his side again, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was inherently wrong. Pepper sniffed and hugged herself.

“Let’s go downstairs,” She said, filling the awkward silence that had begun to grow.

“Whatever you say, babe.”

Tony couldn’t help but notice the tiny wince she gave as he used the pet name, and it only helped to trouble him further.

*********

As soon as Tony entered the elevator he pressed the level to go to his lab - He had an entire suit to rebuild – but Pepper pressed the level of the living quarters, and shook her head at Tony.

“There is no way you are getting out of this, Tony.”

“What? I’m alive aren’t I?” He whined, and looked pleadingly at Pepper.

“No. We need to talk.”

Again, Tony got a sinking feeling in his gut, and pushed down his worry. Pepper had stayed by his side through thick and thin… Especially thin.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at Tony’s room, but when Pepper opened the door, Tony immediately wanted to leave. He was so used to seeing perfume bottles strewn across the dresser accompanied by a stray hairbrush, several bottles lurking on the vanity in the en suite, the tip of a shoe poking out from a closet bulging with classy dresses and elegant work attire that it wasn’t so much _his_ room, as _their_ room, and the sight of Pepper’s belongings packed neatly into a suitcase on the bed made Tony feel queasy.

“Pep? What… what’s going on?” He said quietly, staring directly at the suitcase. He heard Pepper sniff and breathe out shakily, and couldn’t decide if he wanted her to answer him or not.

“I’m moving out, Tony.” She announced, and her voice trembled dangerously. There was a dull roaring coming from somewhere in the room, but Pepper wasn’t reacting to it, simply continuing to look sorrowfully at Tony. He then realized that the roaring was in his own ears, and that he hadn’t taken a breath in a few seconds.

“I- I can’t stay, Tony.” There were tears rolling down Pepper’s cheeks as she said it, and Tony resisted the urge to wipe them away. He was their cause, after all. “I can’t live here not knowing if you’re going to come back from the next mission or not, I can’t live in constant fear that I’m going to wake up alone one morning to have S.H.I.E.L.D inform me that you- you’re… dead.” She choked on the last word. “We barely talk anymore, you never go to functions, you’re avoiding the other half of your life Tony! I’m a part of that life. I… I can’t go on like this.”

Tony had no words left. For someone of such a great intellect, he was completely at a loss for what to do – he’d never been on the receiving end of these sorts of things. The infamous playboy, being dumped himself? Pepper’s coolness and stating of fact broke Tony more than anything else. It was sincere but it wasn’t raw – she had been rehearsing it, he could tell.

 _I should have seen this coming,_ He thought dimly.

“I’m not going to stop you leaving, if that’s what you think.” Tony said, finally acknowledging that this was actually happening to him. It was all so surreal, like a nightmare that had been forgotten but suddenly dragged to the surface by scratching at the horrors of his life.

Pepper’s eyes welled up more and she was crying in earnest now.

“Tony…”

“Just go Pepper. You’ve said all you need to.”  
Tony could see that his words had hurt her, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about much at all any more.

Pepper had tried her best, tried to make this easy for Tony. He couldn’t be held responsible for this – at his departure the night before Pepper had made a pact with herself. If he returned like he said he would, and actually spent time away from that damned armour she wouldn’t go through with it, but he had come limping home, not for the first time and certainly not for the last, and Pepper’s hand was forced. She couldn’t live with herself if he died on a job, but she couldn’t live with him as he drove himself into the ground either. The only clear course of action was to remove herself completely from the situation.

It wasn’t that Pepper hadn’t tried to sway Tony out of it before, Hell, she’d spent more time than anyone doing just that. She’d threatened to quit, tried to tell him outright that he was going to die, and tried to make him keep his ‘work’ away from everything else but there was no denying the fact: Tony and the suit _were_ one.

Pepper zipped up the suitcase on the bed with deliberate movements, as if she might startle Tony with anything more sudden. Truth be told, she was a little perturbed by his calmness; she’d expected shouting, at the least a couple of broken vases, but this cool acceptance was worse than all of that. Pepper paused on the threshold of Tony’s room, looking for something to say, but she couldn’t think of anything that carried enough meaning with it.

“I… I guess I’ll see you around.” Tony offered weakly, some obscure part of him hoping that she would say yes, and pretend that this hadn’t happened.

“Goodbye, Tony.” She said quietly, and crossed the invisible line that separated her from the rest of the carefree women in the world.

*********

Loki was roused from his book by a loud crash from down the hall, followed by muffled yells.

He quietly left his room and went in search of their source, but was headed off by Natasha who steered him firmly into the lift and sent them up the to social floor.

“What’s going on?”

She glanced up at him with a grim light in her eyes before speaking. “Did you ever meet Pepper? You would have seen her yesterday. Blonde woman in a skirt suit.”

Loki nodded slowly. He didn’t see where Natasha was going with this.

“Well, um… she left Tony. For good.”

Loki raised his eyebrows. _Humans,_ He sighed internally. _Honestly, she’s just a woman. He’s obviously a man of stature… He shouldn’t have a problem finding a new one who’d be more than willing to have him._

“And he’s upset?” Loki said slowly, still trying to make sense of the situation.

“Hell yeah he is! They’ve been together for roughly 5 years, if you count the time Pepper spent as Tony’s lowly assistant.” Natasha said with some force.

“But she’s just a woman, there are millions more of you out there!”

Loki knew he’d made a big mistake, even before Natasha had trapped his legs and pinned him against the metal wall of the lift by his neck.

“No female is ‘ _just a woman’_ you arrogant half-god. Do I look like the kind of person to do your dirty laundry and make you a fucking sandwich? Women have more power on this earth than you do right now, so don’t you _dare_ assume that anybody with the ability to reproduce is replaceable! We could wipe out this entire race if we so chose, so you show us some damn respect.” Natasha hissed, and gave his head one last shove into the lift wall for good measure. The doors slid open with a soft ‘ding’ as Natasha released Loki and walked ahead of him into the empty social space.

“I’m sorry,” He called, rubbing his neck. She had quite a grip on her. “I haven’t ever been in such a situation, I didn’t realize

“Apology accepted.” Natasha said curtly, and looked up as other members of the team came up in the elevator.

“Escaping the wrath of a man scorned? Wise of you.” Clint remarked to nobody in particular, but quickly reached for his sunglasses when he noticed Loki. “Bruce is downstairs making sure the guy doesn’t hurt himself. Thor and Steve should be up in a second.” He continued, throwing himself down on the couch next to Natasha.

When Thor and Steve did arrive a moments later, the group attempted to pass the time by watching a movie at Clint’s suggestion – _Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon_ was as good a distraction as any, and Loki followed the plotline quite well, but by the look on Steve’s face he wasn’t having the same luck. He besieged Clint with questions about the film until Natasha told him to shut up or else go get snacks. Steve returned with a bowl of popcorn and a box of poptarts, which he tossed into Thor’s lap, sat down and finished the movie in silence.

It was several hours after the initial breakup that the others decided it was safe to return downstairs to their rooms. Loki saw Bruce give a thumbs up at them all from the door of his room before retreating, and the subtle tension in the hall eased considerably. Each member of the team retreated to their own rooms, Loki a little more slowly than the rest of them, to his misfortune. He was inches away from crossing the threshold to safety when Tony’s door burst open, and a disheveled Tony fixed him with a bleary eye.

“You!” He slurred. Loki could smell the alcohol on him, even though he was a considerable distance down the hall, and the demi-god subtly shifted his stance into a more stable defensive one as Tony blundered towards him.

“I got a bone to pick with you. You carried me.” Tony accused jabbing a finger into Loki’s chest, but it was rather pathetic and he ended up resting his hand there instead.

Loki frowned down at Tony and gently removed his hand from the centre of his chest.

“Yes, I did. I carried you out of a burning building and into the waiting arms of your teammates. How much do you remember?” Loki asked as an afterthought.

Tony folded his arms. “Some,” He said, a defensive note in his voice.

Loki sighed and shook his head. “I’m not having this conversation with you while you’re inebriated.”

“What, you’re a saint now?”

Loki rounded on Tony. “No, but I am a damn sight stronger than you, Stark. You should learn to know when you have been beaten.” Loki said viciously.

Tony looked a little shocked at this, and inadvertently raised his eyebrows a fraction. “Got a tongue like a bullwhip on him, this one.” He said, accidentally speaking his thoughts out loud. “Eyes to match.” Loki found out later the next day that it took a considerable amount of alcohol to make this happen with Tony. Loki narrowed said eyes in an attempt to quiet the shock that was pounding inside him. Did Tony think about his eyes a lot? He had his tongue to think about now, too…

Loki huffed, and turned on his heel, shutting his door in Tony’s almost appraising face. He made a point of shaking his hips as he did it, and Loki was rewarded with the sound of Tony’s breath easing out before the door cut him off.

Tony’s drunken state prevented him from focusing on one thing too hard, which was both a blessing and a curse – when sober, he would have much enjoyed thinking about Loki’s hips, but after Pepper, drunken Tony knew well enough to stay away from people he liked.

Instead, he tottered down the hall and off to the variety of clubs scattered on nearby streets, the kind where eligible bachelorettes lingered on the edges of dance floors in short skirts and six-inch heels, nothing like the classy cream heels that he had found in a far-flung corner hours after Pepper had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can see any mistakes or such in here, just say so. All feedback is appreciated, even if you think you sound silly (You don't! I love to hear from you all on this, opinions and suggestions welcome!)


	7. Friendship 101: The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony suffers from the after-effects of his split with Pepper, and Loki begins to worry about his health...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TA-DAAA!!!! I told you things should run more smoothly after the last chapter. So here is Chapter 7, do enjoy!

The next few days for Tony were spent exactly as Loki had predicted: Tony spent his daylight hours in his lab not speaking to anyone, came upstairs and slept for a few hours until it was sufficiently dark enough, then disappeared until later in the night when he would be accompanied down the hallway by giggles and feminine sighs from more than one voice.

Loki had taken to reading at night, and often didn’t get to sleep until around midnight, the general time at which Tony stumbled past his room with his companions for the night. As much as Loki told himself otherwise, he was kidding himself if he said he wasn’t staying up to make sure that Tony got back in one piece.

Loki sometimes caught Tony at breakfast when he came up in the elevator at 6:30, earlier than the other Avengers who rose at eight. Tony would hear the elevator coming and rush to the sink to dump his plate and glass so that he didn’t have to sit and make conversation with Loki. One morning, Loki decided to simply teleport up to the floor where they took breakfast but Tony, not knowing that Loki’s teleporting didn’t make sounds, didn’t hear him arrive and the strangled yell coupled with multiple choice curse words he made when Loki greeted him from by the sink was enough to convince Loki not to do it again. He didn’t really need the shouts of “You arrogant prick!” or, “Haven’t you heard of privacy?!” or even “Fuck me, some warning would have been nice!”

Tony had hobbled out of his chair, having crushed one hand against the underside of the table with his knee, and bashed one forearm into the edge of the table, leaving a small cut. “Fuck!” Tony had said, seeing the blood, and before he could protest about it, Loki came across and laid a hand on the scrape, healing it. “Let me see your hand,” He had said, reaching for Tony’s other arm, but Tony jerked it away.

“I’m fine.” He said gruffly, and all but ran into the elevator to escape Loki.

Loki had put the incident from his mind, and assumed that Tony had done the same.

Tony’s other wounds were healing up fine, and Loki had been told repeatedly that he was not allowed to touch them, as Director Fury still didn’t trust Loki as far as he could throw him– but who was to know that he had placed a couple of healing spells on particular items of clothing while Tony slept? Technically he wasn’t touching the wounds, and Tony had the added benefit of healing faster while wearing his Black Sabbath t-shirt and faded jeans.

Initially, Tony had undergone strict isolation for several hours to clear him of the radiation he might have picked up from the crates, and once the chemical team was satisfied, the medical team were let in to patch him up properly. Loki had watched from the corner of his eye, quietly judgmental, as the Midgardians had injected an unconscious Tony, applied various salves to his burns and cuts and then strapped up his injured limbs.

 Tony still hadn’t asked about his escape from the burning warehouse, and Loki knew it was only a matter of time before he sobered up completely and started asking questions.

He just didn’t realize _how_ much time it would take. One week turned into two, two into four, and four weeks into three months and still Tony showed no sign of stopping his one-night stands and binges.

He had, however, rebuilt the suit after raising hell with Fury about not being let back into the wreckage of the warehouse. Fury had flat out told him no, but Tony being Tony managed to slip under SHIELD’s radar and return to the site to pick up any mechanisms that had survived the blast – the suit was strong, but it wasn’t build to survive the impact of a subsonic missile at a ten-metre range. Loki saw him in the remade suit out of a window one day when he was taking it for a test flight, but that was one of the few times.

Tony was rarely sober for the small missions that he was assigned, and the one major mission that he went along on, he managed blow up the building. Loki had been invited to tag along on said mission, as his two month good streak was viewed as a change in character and had earned him several brownie points with the others – Clint had even stopped wearing sunglasses around him after Loki had dealt with a stray assassin who had tried to take out Clint.

None of the others had much to say on the matter of Tony’s spiral of self-depreciation: To Loki, it seemed like he was the only one who had any problem with Tony’s state of mind.

“But it’s unhealthy!” He found himself protesting to Bruce one day. “You are a man of science, Bruce. Surely you’ve looked at the statistics? It’s a miracle he hasn’t died of alcohol poisoning already!” Loki didn’t mention that _he_ was the miracle, as he’d been regularly checking up on Tony’s liver condition and breathing patterns whenever he passed Tony asleep on a couch in the afternoon.

“I know, Loki. I’ve been keeping tabs on him, don’t think that we’ve forgotten about him.” Bruce looked around a little furtively before continuing. “I’ve been slipping vitamins into his food, but he barely eats… I know that you’ve been doing stuff too. You don’t just _happen_ to drop something by the couch every time Tony’s on it. That’s good of you, Loki, but he just needs time. I think his break up with Pepper has tossed him around a lot, and he doesn’t have anyone to lean on any more. He’ll pull through.” Bruce nodded slowly, and Loki was a little relieved to know that Tony had friends in other places too.

“Thank you, Bruce.” Loki dipped his head before leaving Bruce to ride up in the elevator alone. Loki retraced his steps back to his own room and sat cross-legged in the centre of his bed.

He needed some time to think.

*********

The next time Loki heard Tony make his way down the hallway in the dead of night he stepped out of his room and cut him off.

“That will be all, thank you.” He nodded pleasantly at Tony’s three companions, who gazed at him in half fear and half desire.

“Loki!” Tony said in surprise.

It was the olive skinned, dark-haired one on Tony’s left who overcame her nerves first.

“You said nothing about mysterious fallen conquerors as partners!” She crooned, stepping towards Loki. “I do love myself a bad boy… and you’re more than bad enough.” Her attempts at flirting slid off Loki, who removed her clutching hands from his shirt collar, and held them down at her sides.

“I said, that will be far enough.” Loki repeated, an edge to his voice. The blondes at Tony’s side stepped slightly behind him as they realized that Loki was _not_ an eligible sex partner. The dark haired woman took a large step back, and scowled. “Touchy,” She grumbled, taking the hand of the blonde on Tony’s right and dragging her towards the lift. The other blonde scuttled along quickly in their wake, not wanting to be left alone with a fierce demi-god and an intoxicated playboy. Loki began following them down the hall, making sure they got into the lift.

“Wait, he doesn’t mean it!” Tony called after them, but Loki grinned devilishly at them when they glanced at him.

“Oh, I assure you, I really do. Safe journey, girls.” He pressed the ground floor button and then held the ‘down’ button outside the lift, Tony’s way to make sure that his late-night accomplices went straight down. It was privately referred to as “Hell’s Drop” by the other Avengers.

Once the lift started whirring it’s way down, Loki turned to face Tony who was very red in the face.

“You arrogant _bastard!_ What right have you to stop me? If I want to get fucked out of my mind I will! Who died and made you king?” Tony paused for effect here, and Loki knew what was coming. “Oh, that’s right – _nobody!_ Because you’re still _not the king of anywhere!”_ Tony screamed.

“Please, calm down. You’ve already woken Steve, but he’s too polite to check on you.” Loki tried to soothe Tony but this only made him angrier.

“And you’re just _soo_ fucking polite, chasing away those girls! Shit Loki, this is my fucking tower! I could throw you out right now!”

Loki surprised even himself with his patience. “No, Stark. If you were going to throw me out, you would have done it already. Come, into your room. You can shout at me all you like there, but at least spare your friends.”

“I don’t _have_ friends.” Tony wailed, a little more quietly. “The first one I had arranged for me to be killed, and the second left me.”

Loki carefully approached Tony, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him down the hall to his room. “You need rest. Not just four hours, but proper rest. No arguments – I will make you sleep if I have to.”

Tony nodded sullenly, and allowed himself to be pushed into his own room. He sat on the edge of his bed looking morose, and Loki suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Tony. Even disheveled and semi-drunk Loki still sensed some of the inner fire that Tony possessed, burning fiercely in his heart, driving him onwards.

Loki sat next to Tony on the bed, the better to keep him upright. He made sure that Tony knew what his name was, and was in the middle of asking Tony a similar question when he realized that Tony’s head was resting on his shoulder and that he was fast asleep. A smile crept unbidden onto Loki’s face, and he sat quite still so that he didn’t disturb Tony, allowing him to slip into a deeper sleep before shifting him.

“I don’t know how you expected to get through three girls if you can’t even make it through two questions with me.” Loki murmured to himself, cradling Tony’s head in one hand as he lifted it off his shoulder and laid him down on his pillow. There was a certain buzz in Loki’s chest as he did this, and Loki told himself that it was _not_ because Tony had fallen asleep on him, but satisfaction that he had got Tony into his bed without much incident.

After removing Tony’s shoes Loki pulled back the covers on the bed and arranged Tony’s limbs beneath them. Loki left the room only for a few seconds when he teleported back to his own to get a book (He was well finished with Midgardian history by now, and had moved on to some of their classic literature. He was currently reading _Pride and Prejudice_ ) and pulled a chair from the corner of Tony’s room up to near the headboard so he could read and make sure that Tony wasn’t going to choke on his own vomit.

At some point in the night when Loki had rested his legs on the edge of Tony’s bed, Tony had mumbled a little but turned over and continued to sleep on.

The warm buzzing in Loki’s chest didn’t leave him, and as hard as he might try, Loki wasn’t taking in a line of what he was reading. He was too caught up in the words that Tony had mumbled a few seconds ago:

“Don’t leave me, Loki.”

Loki had never struggled much with attraction, but that was until he had met Tony. The way the dark-haired engineer had stood up to him while he was being threatened, and how even when Tony was being carried out of a burning building in Loki’s arms, he had refused to show how much pain he was in. Loki remembered vividly the way Tony’s hand had crept up and gripped his shoulder in the warehouse, like he was unsure if he was allowed to, but his grip was tight and sure like he had _wanted_ to. Loki smiled a little. There was no real reason for Tony to have gripped his shoulder other than the fact he wanted to.

Perhaps it was this that confused Loki the most: Somebody making a conscious decision to _want_ Loki. Even in Asgard, though he was by no means unattractive, there was something about him that warned the women away. He knew it was probably his tendency to play tricks that left the victim in various states of discomfort, and occasionally injury, but it didn’t stop him from feeling unwanted… and suddenly, on Midgard of all places, there was someone who had touched him simply because they could, who had asked him to stay by their side?

Loki didn’t know what to think any more, so he stopped thinking, and instead slipped into a meditative state, not asleep but focused and still able to pick up changes in surroundings, only rousing somewhere near dawn when Tony rolled over again.

Loki wondered what would happen if one of the others came in and found them like this, Tony unconscious and fully clothed in his bed and Loki in a chair by his head with his feet propped up on the edge of the bed. He dismissed this and instead teleported up to the kitchen to get himself breakfast. He figured Tony wasn’t due to wake up for at least another four hours.

He was wrong.

Tony had been awake for a few minutes when he suddenly felt the comforting weight of Loki’s legs leave the bed, and cracked one eyelid open to see what was going on. He saw Loki’s form flicker briefly before vanishing, and Tony wondered if Loki had been at his side all night…

He allowed himself a few seconds to wake up further, and noticed that his shoes were put together neatly outside his walk-in closet.

_Loki must have taken them off…_ He thought, and wriggled uncomfortably in his jeans. The waistband was cutting in to him a little, so he quickly unbuttoned them and kicked them off, pushing them off the end of the bed from under the covers. He was much more comfortable like that, and wriggled about a bit between the sheets before closing his eyes again. A small sipping noise and a light _clink_ as a mug was set down on Tony’s beside table told him that Loki had returned, and was drinking his customary cup of earl grey tea. Despite Loki thinking that Tony was as perceptive as a pet rock with it’s eyes painted shut, Tony did pick up things about people: like Loki’s habit of stirring his cereal before he started eating it, and the way he liked tea instead of coffee like Thor.

Two cold spots appeared on Tony’s neck, but he kept his eyes shut tight as Loki checked his pulse, enjoying the soft feel of the god’s fingers against his neck. Loki’s fingers pulled away again, and the chair creaked as Loki leaned back in it.

Tony found himself wondering about his jeans still being on… Had Loki thought about taking them off? Had he perhaps run his fingers over the button and fly before deciding against it? Would he have gone that close to Tony?

Tony rolled over as nonchalantly as he could, not wanting his erection to be seen. _Get a grip!_ He chided himself. _He’s Thor’s brother… why are you thinking about him? Why do you even care about him?_

_Because he’s different,_ A voice in the back of his head argued. _He’s smart and arrogant and mysterious._ Tony told the little voice to _shut UP_ vehemently, and drifted off to sleep again.

Loki spent this time drinking his tea, finishing his toast and doing his breakfast dishes before settling back into the chair by Tony’s bed and continuing from where he had left off with _Pride and Prejudice_ , getting a good half hour’s reading done.

“Loki?” The voice was sleepy and cracked a little when it pronounced his name.

“Ah, I wondered when you’d wake.” Loki said, gently closing his book. “Feeling any better?”

Tony thought about this for a moment. “My head hurts. More than normal.”

“That would be because you were intoxicated, and have just slept for-“ Loki checked his watch, “fifteen hours.”

Another time, Tony might have cared, but he just moaned and bent the covers back a little to give himself breathing space. “How long have you been here?”

“All night,” Loki stated simply, crossing his ankles.

“Why?” Tony demanded. “You didn’t have to. It’s not like I’m your responsibility or anything.”

Loki rolled his eyes before replying. “No, but I did not want to be held responsible for letting you choke on your own vomit in your sleep, having been the last person to see you awake.”

Tony made a non-committal noise in his throat, and rubbed his eyes blearily.

“So, have you learned anything from this?” Loki asked, a small smile on his lips.

“What, other than that you’re a egotistic prick who likes to scare girls away from other guys?”

“How do you manage to muster the energy to be this difficult so soon after waking?”

Tony shrugged. “My unfailing charm, I guess.”

Loki arched an eyebrow but let it slide. “Anything else you gained from the experience?”

For a wild moment Tony thought Loki was referring to the experience of having Loki watch over him while he was asleep, and his almost-functioning brain nearly blurted out “a hardon.” Luckily he stopped himself.

“Not really,” He answered slowly.

Loki’s arched eyebrow shot back down into its place in his disapproving frown.

“You didn’t take away, perhaps, that I won’t always be here to save you from yourself? That maybe you should clean up your act and start thinking of other people?” Loki’s frustration at Tony all through the last three months was beginning to build up inside him, and he balled his fists in his lap.

Tony, now wide awake, scowled at the turn of events.

“I don’t have to do shit,” Tony said indignantly. He didn’t have a better comeback, however because he knew that what Loki was saying was entirely justified.

“No, but I would have thought that you had a little more heart than that – you have spent the last three months drowning your sorrows in women and wine and hardly spoken! And what do you have to show for it? A suit that you cannot use because you are in such bad graces with those higher than you!” Loki’s Asgardian formality was beginning to show in his speech, as the last few months on Earth had dulled the stiffness of his way of speaking. He sounded more like a normal person now, and less like someone pulled straight out of a Shakespeare play (Some of which he had been reading).

Tony sat up abruptly, indignant at the verbal attack. “Why do you even care about me? You threw me out of a window for fuck’s sake! It’s my fucking suit Loki, and what I’ve been through is none of your business so you can piss right off!”

“Such eloquence, I am petrified.” Loki drawled, uncrossing his legs and sitting forwards in his chair. “I think you will find that what you have been through dims in comparison to some of the things that the people who live in your tower have experienced. Did you even bother to talk to the others about their lives? Do you know how much they have suffered, lost?” Loki was bluffing a little here, but with his telepathy he often picked up the moods of the others and he gleaned what he could about people without directly violating their space.

“You think you are the smartest man alive Stark, but at the current standing, you are the most clueless person in this tower.” Loki hissed. “I am here for retribution, to be taught. What do you have to teach me – that running away from my problems is the best solution? That getting drunk will make everything so much better, and that everyone will forget all about it in the morning?” Loki’s hands were shaking now and he had given up trying to control his tongue, instead lashing out at Tony.

Tony, however, had his eyes fixed on Loki. All the anger had drained from his face to be replaced with awe.

“What?” Loki asked viciously.

Tony tilted his head a fraction and raised his hand off the covers, reaching towards Loki’s face, but dropped it back down again after thinking the better of it. “You’re blue…” He whispered in disbelief.

Loki’s eyes widened and his mouth opened a little before he practically threw himself out of the chair, bumping into the bedside table and knocking over his tea. His form flickered once and he was gone from Tony’s room.

Tony released a breath and flopped back down onto his pillow. He couldn’t get the image of Loki out of his head: leaning forward when his skin darkened to blue while small ridged lines appeared on it, and his eyes fading from their beautiful piercing green to red.

At first, Tony thought his brain was playing tricks on him: Loki, and Tony couldn’t help but think _his_ Loki, turning into this dark creature? It seemed impossible… _But then everything about him is improbable,_ Tony reasoned with himself.

Throwing back the covers, Tony prepared himself to face what little of the day remained and changed his clothes, thinking about Loki the whole time. There was something about that form that was… Tony spent a good ten minutes trying to think of a better word, but there wasn’t one:

_Beautiful._

_*********_

“Jarvis, talk to me. What’s Loki doing?” Tony asked, then splashed his face with water from the bathroom sink. It was cold, and made his head a little clearer. He was feeling a little dizzy from the effects of last night’s alcohol, and his head ached from his shouting match with Loki.

“Loki is in his room, sir. The heat signatures from there were abnormally low a few minutes ago, but appeared to have returned to normal. He is alone, sir.” Jarvis answered as Tony toweled his face dry.

“Hmm… Keep me posted on the heat signature thing.” Tony instructed as he entered the hall and headed for Loki’s room.

The god was obviously upset about what had happened, and Tony knew that the things he had said were true. He would start mending the bridges he’d burned, starting with Loki.

“Loki?” Tony called, standing awkwardly outside his door.

“Leave me be,” Loki called, and Tony was surprised at how calm he sounded. Having fled Tony’s presence only five minutes earlier, Tony was expecting some sort of emotional turmoil.

“Loki, let me in.” Tony insisted. To his genuine surprise, Loki’s door swung in a fraction, so Tony pushed it all the way open and entered Loki’s room for the first time.

Loki was on the ground at the foot of his bed, his legs propped up against the bed itself so that his head was on the floor and he was gazing at Tony upside down.

“Yes?” He enquired flatly.

“I uh… I wanted to see if you were okay. Y’know, after… back there.” Tony fumbled for the right words, but they continued to evade him.

“I assume you are referring to when I became so upset that I lapsed into my Jotun form?” Loki asked, letting his legs drop down to the side of him and pushing himself to his feet to face Tony. “I’m fine.”

Tony nodded distractedly, having got a little lost in Loki’s green-again eyes. “Why did you leave though, if that’s a part of who you are…?”

Loki smiled a bleak smile. “It’s my bastard form. I do not consider it my true self, having only found out about it recently… who could look at a hideous form like that?”  
“I thought it was beautiful.”

The words were out in the open before Tony could stop them, and he immediately regretted being born. He braced himself for any number of condescending remarks that were bound to follow, but they never came.

The sad gleam in Loki’s eyes had softened into something else, and he was looking at Tony a little questioningly.

“You… don’t think me a monster?”

“We’ve all got a monster in us – we’ve all made mistakes, right? Just because you’ve got another face to your name doesn’t mean it has to be bad.” Tony shrugged.

Loki’s mouth was ajar a little, before he closed it and smiled, a proper smile that reached his eyes and made the corners of them crinkle, not the thin stretched ones he’d been trying to pass off as natural, or the predatorial grins that came so easily to him.

“You really think that? That there is good in me?” Loki was laughing now, and bent double to clutch his ribs, his face flushed. “I destroyed half of your city, tried to enslave you!” He howled, gasping breathlessly.

Tony couldn’t help himself. He started giggling too.

“Slight character defects,” He offered, and they both dissolved into raucous peals of laughter. Loki’s knees gave way and he sank to the floor, clutching his sides. Tony dropped down beside him and put a hand on Loki’s shoulder to steady himself.

Loki didn’t shy away from the contact, but instead leaned into it so that Tony’s arm was fully around his shoulders.

The last few breaths of laughter huffed out of the pair, but they stayed on the floor with Loki leaning the back of his head against Tony’s collarbone, and Tony’s arm around Loki’s shoulders.

“I meant it though,” Tony said looking down at Loki’s head and smiling a little. “You’re not all bad. If anything, I’ve just proved it.”

Loki chuckled a little and turned his chin up, the better to see Tony’s expression. “I suppose you did… that was kind of you.”

Tony was incredibly aware of the small distance between his lips and Loki’s, and somehow managed to get out a comprehensible reply.

“So was staying with me all night.”

Loki hummed in agreement, his eyes locked with Tony’s. He thought back to the night where Tony had drunkenly accosted him in the hall and demanded answers, but he had only shaken his hips and walked away… he skipped even further back to his first morning in the tower and he had sat next to Tony when their legs brushed together, and he had felt as if electricity ran in his veins.

Loki stretched his neck up towards Tony’s face, and Tony unconsciously tilted his head down to meet Loki until they were kissing, slow and gentle. It lasted, in Loki’s opinion, far too short a time until they broke away and an uncomfortable silence crept in between them.

“I-uh, I should go.” Tony said awkwardly, heaving himself to his feet. “Um… I’m glad you’re better.” He shuffled briefly at the door, waiting for Loki to say something – he didn’t, so Tony left, feeling happy but confused at the way his day had gone already.

_-Stark._

Tony looked around wildly in the hallway, searching for the source of Loki’s voice… was it…. In his _head?_

_-Stark, may I speak to you like this?_

The pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place, and Tony realized that Loki was using his telepathy which he had spoken about months ago. How did he reply? Did he just think the words, or…?

_-Yes, all you need to do is think. You might have heard of it from Bruce._

Tony smiled as he entered the elevator. Even in thought, Loki’s sass was untempered.

_-I wanted to tell you that I’m glad you’re okay too. It’s nice to have you back again…_ very _nice. I’ll leave you be now._

Tony felt a tiny presence leave him, and knew that Loki had left him alone with his thoughts once again. He was glad – Loki’s words were few, but they had spoken volumes to him and it was nice to know that he wasn’t trying desperately to interpret things that weren’t there. Loki had very unsubtly spoken words with double meaning.

_It’s nice to have you back again,_ He thought happily to himself.

_I liked that… I like you._  Tony didn’t need Loki to say it for him. He knew already.


	8. Easy, Breezy, Guilty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know what happened here... It's almost like a filler chapter, pretty much a drabble. Tony and Loki figure out what they're feeling and nobody suspects a thing... yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that, this is the third scheduled update in succession - things are looking up!  
> Anyway, I do hope you find this chapter satisfying in any way possible... it kind of ran away from me.  
> Also, thank to my excellent partner in crime Sam just for being there for me and for suggesting things which I didn't actually use.

Tony’s return to sobriety was greeted with much enthusiasm and seen as a general point of success on Loki’s part. He returned to lab projects with Bruce, occasionally sparred with Natasha, traded bad puns with Clint and then joined in the laughter when Thor and sometimes Steve didn’t understand them. Loki was glad to see him return to the shell that he had left over of his former life, but was still disappointed that he didn’t hear Tony go past his room each night.

Loki’s mind was assaulted with thoughts and fantasies of what could have happened when Tony fell asleep under his care, but though most of them were in some way erotic, Loki couldn’t have picked a better way for that morning to have turned out (except for maybe the one fantasy in which Tony woke up in his arms, and they were then joined at the lips for a good half hour, after which Natasha entered and gave them both a cooked breakfast in bed and then left without saying a word).

Loki kept reliving the moment when they had just leaned together and let their lips speak with more than words. If Loki was honest with himself, he had wanted that for almost all of the three months that Tony had spent wallowing in loss and self-pity, but the knowledge that it was he, Loki, who had raised Tony from out of his pit and then been _kissed_ by him? That reward enough for him.

Tony started getting up later so that he was eating breakfast with the others, but Loki remained an early riser. However, Tony was always the first into the kitchen in the mornings, meaning that he and Loki had ten minutes alone together.

At first Loki thought it was coincidence, but after the third or fourth time Tony tumbled out of the lift rubbing sleep from his eyes and smiling when he saw Loki, the half-god knew that this was not the case.

The pair had hardly spoken since their brief kiss in Loki’s room, and after a week of overt politeness, Loki was growing tired of the charade.

When Tony stepped out of the lift the next morning and saw that Loki was not at his usual place at the breakfast table, he shrugged it off. When it came to sitting down with his breakfast, however, he realized what Loki was doing: He had taken the seat directly next to Tony’s.

“Morning,” Loki said conversationally as Tony sat down with his plate of toast in front of him.

“Morning to you,” Tony replied. He stared at his toast for much longer than necessary.

Loki decided to throw caution to the winds, and made his move.

“How did you sleep?” He asked, rubbing his bare foot against Tony’s ankle, and by Tony’s huff of breath, he was enjoying it.

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad…” Tony was smiling a little as he said it. He liked this game, he liked it a lot. He covered the hand Loki had rested on the table with his own, and traced the tendon lines on in. “You?”

Both men were grinning now, and Loki placed as much of his leg as he could fit between Tony’s without leaving his seat, still stroking his ankle.

“I slept fine. I like my bed here, it’s comfy.” Loki admitted, and smiled wider as Tony laced their fingers together on the tabletop.

A few minutes passed, and Tony began eating his toast with one hand, keeping the other linked with Loki, and Loki still caressing his leg. After finishing the second piece, Tony looked down on their linked hands and frowned a little.

“What are we, Loki?” He asked eventually.

Loki looked at Tony in concern, and then resignation. “I’m not sure…” Loki paused decisively. “Answer me a question.”

Tony nodded a little, so Loki continued.

“Do you like this?” Loki inclined his head towards their hands, but watched Tony’s eyes. Tony nodded slowly.

“Yes. I do like this.”

“And I like this too. I like _us._ ”

“…Is that what we are then? Us? We?” Tony asked quietly.

A pale hand held his chin and turned it, so that he was looking directly into Loki’s emerald eyes.

“ _We_ are definitely more than just you or I.”

Tony didn’t need Loki’s hand on his chin, and slipped out of his grip to lean forward and kiss Loki himself. He allowed himself to enjoy this one, moving slowly and learning what Loki tasted like. Loki was enjoying it too, and even licked a stray crumb of toast from the corner of Tony’s lips.

“Messy,” He remarked, pulling away and collecting his dishes. “The others will be here soon. Unless…?” Loki gave Tony a questioning look, but Tony shook his head violently, eyes wide.

Loki’s mouth twitched up a little in a smile. “No. Nor do I.”

Neither of them wanted the others to know about… whatever it was they had.

*********

Little over a week later, Fury strolled out of the elevator and onto the games floor, the one below the floor where they congregated to eat every meal.

“Team,” Fury said gruffly by way of greeting. “We’ve found something.”

Six people in the room sat up a little straighter, but Tony stayed leaning into the crook of the couch corner.

“Something like what?” He asked, a crease between his brows. He glanced at Loki, who was sitting on the arm of the opposite couch next to Natasha and Clint, all of whom had made interested expressions or noises at Fury’s announcement. “Is somebody going to explain to me?”

“We’ve been tracking any traces of the energy signature that the Tesseract might have given off, left-over weaponry or skeletal structures of the Chitauri. Anything that can help us better figure out where they came from.” Bruce supplied, and Tony nodded slowly. The two shared a look of science, and Bruce inclined his head at Tony’s raised eyebrow. Loki, who was watching out of the corner of his eye found it incredible that people could read so much from expression. He himself read body postures and facial expressions incredibly well, and he was impressed at the level of understanding that Bruce and Tony shared… he might have also been a tad jealous.

“We’ve been working off what Loki can remember from his time with the Tesseract. Agent Barton’s already told us that you can’t remember a lot of what goes on under it’s influence.” Fury addressed Tony, who then looked at Loki stoically keeping his eyes on Fury.

The director continued explaining just what it was that had come up, (fragments of the wyrm’s armour and a beat up facepiece) and that SHEILD was currently retrieving the items as they spoke. Bruce was to be given priority of the scientific examinations of them, and Loki was offered entrance into the lab to aid in any ethereal way he could. Thor smiled in Loki’s general direction at this, inwardly proud of the progress his wayward brother had made.

Said brother was deliberately keeping his head down and ignoring any eyes he could feel on him. There were some things he felt he just wasn’t ready to share with the rest of them team yet… Thanos’s threat and his nightmares being two such facts. Loki had no difficulty keeping these things to himself, but he still harboured an uneasy feeling somewhere deep in his gut about it.

Eventually, Loki raised his head and met Tony’s gaze, his face impassive. One of Tony’s eyebrows twitched deliberately, and Loki had no trouble interpreting it: _Aiding the good guys, huh? You’ve come far._

Loki slipped into Tony’s mind to reply.

- _Oh please Stark, it’s not like I haven’t already._

Tony bit his lower lip as he thought, _Yeah, but all the other times_ I _was involved. Or did I imagine you carrying me out of a burning warehouse? Or maybe sitting by my bed and kissing me back to sanity?_

_-You’re a terrible flirt. I should call you Cassanova._

Tony’s eyebrow twitched higher. _I know I can think of a number of things I’d like to call_ you,He thought.

- _Perhaps later._

Tony looked mockingly scandalized. _Is that a promise?_

_-It might be, if you stop being so obvious!_ Loki rolled his eyes and withdrew his presence from Tony’s head. He felt a little guilty about dropping in without warning, as he had seen the memories that had surfaced in the back of Tony’s mind, the ones he’d been pushing down.

The ones about falling out of a rift in space with no way of stopping.

Loki tuned out the rest of the discussion, nodding only when Natasha nudged his arm.

He teleported out of the room instead of taking the elevator with the others, and paced his room in a turmoil of emotions.

He liked Tony, he really did, but Loki had seen from his brief trip into Tony’s mind how much damage he had been responsible for. For instance, he knew about the nightmares. Technically, nightmare; it was always the same one.

There was a light knock on Loki’s door and he recognized the thought pattern, so called out that the person should let themselves in.

Tony shut Loki’s door behind him, and crossed the room in three strides to kiss Loki mid-pace.

“Do you know how attractive you are when you’re distracted?” Tony asked quietly, standing slightly awkwardly so as not to touch any other part of Loki’s body.

It felt strange to Loki too, so he reached down and placed Tony’s hand on his waist. “I can’t say I do.”

Tony hummed somewhere in the back of his throat, and Loki smiled as he was pulled in closer to Tony.

“Well,” Tony started, pressing his nose to Loki’s and kissing him lightly. “You get this little crease between your brows-“ kiss, “and your eyebrows lift in the middle-“ kiss, “you pout a little-“ kiss, “sometimes you pace-“ kiss, “your lips part a bit- “ kiss, ”which makes them look perfect to be kissed. That’s how you look to me.” Tony concluded, kissing Loki again.

Loki smiled and pulled himself away, dropping on to the couch that Tony had offered to him – he was growing tired of reading in various positions on the floor. Loki picked up his book from the small table next to it, and Tony sat next to him with his head resting on Loki’s knee while he stretched out and draped his legs over the arm rest.

Loki unconsciously carded his hand through Tony’s hair as he read, until Tony piped up, “So are you going to read to me or not?”

Loki smiled down at the inventor’s head in his lap, then rearranged himself a little.

“I’m halfway through this one. It’s called _Two Loves_ by Lord Alfred Douglas.” Loki explained before beginning to read from where he had left off.

“A purple robe he wore, o'erwrought in gold

With the device of a great snake, whose breath

Was fiery flame: which when I did behold

I fell a-weeping, and I cried, 'Sweet youth,

Tell me why, sad and sighing, thou dost rove

These pleasant realms? I pray thee speak me sooth

What is thy name?' He said, 'My name is Love.'

Then straight the first did turn himself to me

And cried, 'He lieth, for his name is Shame,

But I am Love, and I was wont to be

Alone in this fair garden, till he came

Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill

The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.'

Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will,

I am the love that dare not speak its name.”

There was a rather pregnant pause after this, and Tony lay quite still with his eyes closed. Loki closed the book quietly and remained gazing at his tapestry.

“You have a beautiful voice,” Tony said softly. “It’s like… like your tongue is silver, painting the words for your eyes… Silvertongue.” Tony was looking up at the underside of Loki’s chin, and pulled on it so that Loki would look at him. “I mean it.” He said firmly.

Loki smiled pensively and bent down to touch his lips to Tony’s. “I know you do.”

They lapsed into silence again, with Tony dozing in Loki’s lap while he read some more. The pair had been acting like this for the whole week since the breakfast table scene, simply being near each other, kissing and the occasional touch, but never any further. It was out of character for Tony – he was typically known as the ‘root and boot’ kind of guy, but Loki hadn’t been around long enough to realize just _how_ out of character it was.

Tony woke several hours later on his own bed a little before dinner, and looked up to see Loki dozing in the same armchair he had been in when he confronted Tony. “Loki. _Loki.”_ Tony said insistently, startling Loki into waking. “Don’t be ridiculous, you’re going to hurt your back. Come up here,” Tony patted the empty bedspace beside him.

“But the others…?” Loki inquired, blinking tiredly.

“Jarvis? Tell the rest that we’re crashing early.”

“Of course, sir. Would you like it phrased so that it sounds like you are doing so separately?”

“Don’t sass me Jarvis. I’ll wipe your speech drive.”

Loki quirked a smile and crawled over Tony’s legs to the empty side of bed. Tony slid under the covers but Loki stayed above them, however he still let the shorter man rest his head on his chest.

“Dim lights,” Tony mumbled against the fabric of Loki’s shirt, and the room was plunged into the half-light that would have been given off by a gibbous moon.

“G’night Lo,”

Loki rested his chin against the top of Tony’s head as they both fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions and comments all welcome (though not necessarily acted upon).  
> The poem mentioned is Lord Alfred Douglas's 'Two Loves', and the whole poem is a rather beautiful one - you can find it on the internet under that name.


	9. When The Smoke Is Going Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki helps(?) Bruce for a time, but leaves out of boredom and has an interesting encounter in the gym with Tony...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional warnings for this chapter: Some mentions of suicide (I don't want to trigger anyone, this is just in case)  
> Some references to past chapters, so if you want you can re-read chapter four for the full floor plan.  
> Sorry this took longer than usual, I had a bit of a tussle writing it. I apologize in advance for the plot twist I thought of when I had breakfast this morning.
> 
> (Title is a reference to the song 'When The Smoke Is Going Down' by Scorpions in case anyone is interested)

Loki spent the next few days with Bruce in the lab, leaning on benches and perching awkwardly on stools as Bruce ran various tests on the two pieces of Chitauri technology.

“They won’t react with water or any of your Midgardian gases. The armour was built to survive deep space,” Loki said from his stool, fiddling with a screwdriver.

“I know, I’m testing it for any other energy signatures that might still be around on it. The Chitauri’s armour wasn’t powered by the tesseract because they didn’t have it before invading.”

Loki nodded an swung his legs aimlessly, but stopped when he realized that he probably looked like a dark haired overgrown child on a high chair. There wasn’t an awful lot to do in the lab, so Loki slipped off the stool and left quietly. Bruce made no objections, and Loki suspected that he had been annoying the scientist a little with his obvious remarks. He didn’t enjoy being around the armour again, especially with Bruce poking at it and attempting to prise extraterrestrial secrets from it. It reminded him too much of the damage that he had inflicted on the people he now lived among, not that he cared especially about the humans in general but more so the two or three he was closest to in the tower: Natasha, occasionally Clint, and Tony. He liked Bruce well enough but never quite forgot that it was he who had thrown him around the room several floors above like he was no more resistant than snow underfoot, and Steve had never really been on Loki’s wavelength though they got on as comrades.

Bruce’s prodding of the armour’s unyielding surface reminded him strangely of Odin and Thor’s attempts to get him to spill his motives behind his attack on Earth though he never gave in to their persistent questioning and occasional appeals to his humanity. He chuckled darkly to himself as he left the lab and entered the elevator.  
He used the machine when around others instead of teleporting, after Tony had scolded him for disappearing mid-conversation without the others noticing. Thinking about Tony made Loki smile, but it slipped away quickly when he remembered the armour now lying a few floors below him as he stepped out onto the rooming floor.

Loki still couldn’t shake the images he had seen lurking at the back of Tony’s mind when he had touched it briefly. Loki was sure that he knew what it was that Tony was seeing behind his eyes when he had woken in a cold sweat a few nights ago. He didn’t say anything, but he had quietly left the bed and splashed his face with water before returning a few moments later. He didn’t know that Loki had woken before him, unsure of what to do to ease the discomfort of the man beside him. Loki had pretended to be asleep when Tony finally jerked free of the clutches of his nightmare.

In his dream, Tony was in the suit, clutching the missile above him and steering it into the sky and through the gaping portal in space. As his comms died, he closed his eyes but never passed out. He could feel himself beginning to fall back towards earth, still pulled by the gravity that seeped through the hole above his tower. He was falling in earnest when he opened his eyes again, plummeting at a terrific rate towards the broken earth below - and there was nobody to stop him. No other Avengers standing around concerned for his welfare. No leaping Banner to catch him and wake him. He simply fell and fell, spinning over in the air as the ground rushed up to meet him. He could see faces as he tumbled, those of Pepper crying, of Rhodey with a grim expression in his Air Force uniform… sometimes he saw Loki, but he was never the caring Loki that Tony had come to know. He was always standing on the landing platform of the tower, grinning with pride as Tony hurtled past him, his old power-glory-death-to-the-weak self. Sometimes Tony woke up as he hit the ground in his nightmare, but some nights he would continue to dream, seeing nothing, hearing nothing to discern where he was. The only thing that remained after his impact was blackness. Impenetrable blackness that suddenly broke into cruel, harsh laughter that sounded suspiciously like Loki cackling madly. Tony would wake at this point without fail, sweating profusely and shaking.

Loki had seen this all in the back of Tony’s mind, and it scared him to know that he had done this to Tony, even if indirectly. Loki couldn’t rid himself of the guilt that lingered around the edges of his relationship with everyone in the tower. Steve, he believed would never truly get over Loki’s past – he was too much a military man with firm morals and he would always distantly view Loki as a war prisoner. But it wasn’t like Loki cared about the rest of them. Natasha perhaps, she had been a good friend to him, offering to train together as they had similar interests and character traits (Natasha didn’t like callous touching. Loki supposed it was a side effect of the way she must have to use her body).

His head full of thoughts, none of which he was particularly enjoying, Loki changed into a pair of sweatpants and a loose broad-shouldered singlet and teleported himself into the thankfully empty gym. He stretched for a few minutes before launching himself into a birdlike battle dance consisting of lunges, kicks and a considerable amount of gymnastics. Thor had never had the same sort of agility as Loki, and he found the sorts of training that Loki favoured hard. Thor was more brawn and strength compared to Loki’s gracious evasion and tactical use of one’s strengths against them.

Completing the routine, Loki steepled his hands in front of him and breathed deeply through his nose for two minutes before starting a new sequence. He repeated this each time with a different sequence – he knew hundreds. As a Prince of Asgard he spent a lot of time among the other inhabitants of the Yggdrasil – The light Elves of Alfheim were among his favourite people. They valued the craft of a person, no matter what it happened to be, and to the elves, fighting was not something that everybody had to be skilled at. You didn’t have to be the strongest, fastest or meanest to be the best at your trade, and that was something that Loki found most gratifying. His position as a sorcerer was somewhat distasteful to the proud Aesir.

He stopped thinking about anything other than his movements, focusing on executing each movement with precision, helping to dispel his troubling thoughts.  
There was nothing he could do to ease his conscience – up until a few weeks ago he wasn’t aware that he actually had one.  
 _Personally, I blame Stark_ , Loki thought as he cartwheeled. _He’s the one that made me go soft… humans_.

And then he tuned out the world and continued with his exercise.

*********

Tony wandered into his lab for no reason at all (and by this he was looking for Loki because he had nothing better to do) and greeted Bruce, who was still hunched over the armour, prodding it with various technical instruments.

  
“Hey Bruce,” He said, looking around and frowning a little. “I thought Loki was supposed to be helping you?”

  
Bruce made a non committal noise and pushed his glasses higher up on his nose. “He was for a bit. He left a few minutes ago. Took the elevator up.”

  
“Oh, yeah…” Tony lingered for a while, picking up a few of his projects that he had lying around and fiddling with them before leaving as nonchalantly as possible. He paused as the elevator arrived.

  
“Hey, you should try testing them on some of the chemicals that were in the nuke. It fried them up pretty good.”

*********

Tony, not finding Loki on the living floor, decided to check the gym on the off chance that he would be there.

  
The lift doors hissed open quietly onto the empty training floor, and the clear glass windows showed that the gym was empty. Tony stepped out onto the floor anyway. He was glad he had when he caught a flash of dark hair through the small window in the door of the separate room. Tony crossed the floor as quietly as possible, attempting to think of something witty to say when he actually faced Loki. He hadn’t been alone with him in a few days, and Tony missed him. He hadn’t realized that it was possible to miss a person when they were in the same room, but Loki became someone completely different when he was around Tony. He lost all of his sharp edges, but retained his wit and Tony loved everything about it.

  
As he entered the small annex off the training room, Tony was greeted by the sight of Loki doing a one-handstand with his other three limbs in the air above him, baring the hard planes of his chest due to his singlet having fallen down. Tony had not yet seen Loki’s chest – imagined it often enough, yes, but he had never actually seen the way his pectoral muscles curved or the mounds of his abs. He remembered the first time Loki had worn clothes like a normal person, his collarbones showing a little from under his shirt. Tony had found that attractive enough, but now that the entire expanse was uncovered Tony had difficulty remembering exactly why he was looking for Loki. He was fairly certain that it was because he hadn’t kissed him for a day or two…

  
Loki was moving slightly, but not because he was unbalanced. It was more a sort of rhythmic swaying.

  
Tony leaned against the door frame, surveying the scene for a few moments before announcing his presence. “If I might ask, what are you doing?” He suddenly felt bad, as if he had interrupted some rare moment of serenity.

  
Loki’s eyes slowly drew open, and he looked up at Tony’s puzzled features with as much of a smirk as he could manage upside down. He was pleased to see Tony, and even more so that he could see his eyes ranging over his bare skin.

  
“Meditating.” He said as he placed his other hand on the floor, then bent his legs over his head into a bridge, and over again into standing directly before an astounded Tony, just to show off his true flexibility.

  
“When I need time to be alone… it’s something I used to do as a child, but I find it more beneficial now.” He shrugged, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension in them.  
“I admit, I didn’t see you as the meditation type. But that didn’t look like meditation! More like… cruel and unusual punishment for the body.” Tony grimaced playfully.  
“Well, one must stand like a tree to become a tree,” Loki said matter of factly.

  
“Yeah, no, not understanding fully. Please explain.” Tony shook his head exasperatedly. He was more the listen-to-rock-and-build-something type.

  
“Well,” Loki began, sinking to the floor and folding his long legs, “My kind of meditation involves me becoming something else. Much the way Bruce’s kind involves him becoming nothing. I prefer trees over most things – they don’t have any anger in them, and they are so _willful_!” He chuckled quietly, appreciating his inside joke and patted the floor in front of him, inviting Tony to sit too. “I like the way it feels to be bound to something so immense as the earth, and to extract everything you’ll ever need from it’s vastness… I like the way I can be old, and yet young, that I am immovable to the elements and that I can be still, but moving at the same time… I can’t accurately describe it to you.”

  
Tony sat for a moment, and tried to understand how Loki was feeling – sometimes after Yinsen he had needed to become something else, anything else but himself, just to escape – He often became fire, the shaper of metal, and his life. It helped put himself in perspective on the rare occasion that he needed it.

  
“What kind of tree do you become, then? Any favourites?” Tony inquired, standing up again.

  
“You know all the good questions, Stark.” Loki pushed himself to his feet, smiling. “Of course I have a favourite – the willow.” He was to the side of Tony now, and quite close.

  
“And why would that be?” Tony managed to get out, struggling to control the unbidden lump in his pants. The sight of Loki’s bare chest was still fresh in his mind, and the closeness wasn’t doing him any favours.

  
“Why?” Loki chuckled again, circling closer and not bothering to hide the blatant flirting tone in his voice. “Because they are just like me. Lean, supple, flexible,” He was behind Tony now, and thoroughly enjoying himself. He could sense Tony’s discomfort and his need, and it made Loki himself more aroused than he would let on.

  
“And when you flick a piece fast enough, they leave…” He leaned in closer, just below Tony’s ear. “Quite a _bite_.” Loki brought his teeth together, millimeters away from Tony’s jaw, and had him rooted to the spot with desire. Loki continued to follow the line of Tony’s jaw, occasionally flicking his tongue out to tease the other man, then returned to Tony’s ear so he could hear his breath.

  
“But there are hundreds of varieties… any particular favourite-“ Tony gasped.

  
“Ahhhh, but that’s a secret, little Stark. We’ll continue this discussion later, when you’re a little more… focused.” Loki whispered, biting Tony’s earlobe gently and chuckling wickedly. His little touches were driving Tony mad, even worse that full-on contact. They had never done anything like this before, but Tony was beginning to wish they had. He wanted Loki.

  
“Oh bad, bad Stark… what shall I do with you?” Loki drawled standing in front of him, tugging on Tony’s shirt collar from arm’s length.

  
Tony let out a low growl and grabbed Loki’s waist. “Do as you please,” He whispered fiercely against Loki’s lips, then kissed him.

  
Loki folded his arms around Tony’s neck and sank into the kiss fully, parting his mouth to admit Tony’s seeking tongue. He soon broke away, but kept his arms around Tony. He too was enjoying this, and could see where it would lead… he wasn’t at all bothered, and was in fact rather looking forward to it. It wasn’t that Loki couldn’t get a partner, but more the fact that there was no challenge in it for him – all it took was a few well-chosen words, a certain expression and they were but putty in Loki’s capable hands.

  
“You leave me with so much choice, though… You might like to narrow down my options?” Loki kissed Tony’s collarbone then, nibbling at the skin and sucking hard enough to leave a mark. Tony was glad that Loki had the foresight to do it in a place where no one would see. He arched his neck, giving Loki more space to explore.

  
“Well, you might like to punish me according to my crimes.” He looked down at Loki, who kept his mouth firmly in contact with Tony’s skin, but whose eyes were questioning. “You know, I’ve been wicked and lustful… your punishment should be the same thing. Wicked and lustful.” He suggested as Loki took his head away from his neck. Loki trailed one slender finger from Tony’s chin down to his navel, smiling contentedly.

  
“Mmm. My clever Stark…” He rested his forehead against Tony’s and looked him in the eye before trailing his finger lower to the top of Tony’s jeans. Loki allowed his lips to curl up into a satisfied smile as Tony’s breath caught.

  
To be fair, Tony hadn’t realized that he was bisexual until he was about thirty five, and even then he had only spent the night with a man once or twice. Loki, on the other hand, had absolutely no problem with who he liked, female or not.

  
Tony could barely stop himself from throwing his mouth on Loki’s and tearing both their clothes off, but somehow he managed to restrain himself to lifting Loki’s singlet off to free the beauty beneath it.

  
Loki laughed in Tony’s ear as his bare back came into contact with the wall. “Impatient, are we?”

  
Tony followed the planes of Loki’s chest with his lips and groaned against his pectorals, “Oh, you have no idea.” _It has to be a record_ , Tony thought to himself. _I don’t think I’ve ever waited this long to actually fuck a person before – shit, never again._

  
“But I think I do.” Loki’s voice was tight, and Tony looked up to see the god’s head tilted back and the muscles in his neck clenched. Loki’s hands found their way into the back pockets of Tony’s jeans, where they grasped his buttocks tightly, prompting him to go lower and circle Loki’s navel with his tongue.

  
“I thought I was punishing you, Stark-“ Loki grunted, flexing his hips forward unconsciously. “Not the other way around. Although, I must say- ahh!” He gasped quietly as Tony’s tongue touched the top of the v between his hips at his track pants. “You are doing a _marvelous_ job.”

  
Tony smiled from where he was squatted, and quirked an eyebrow at his helpless prisoner.

  
“Care to swap, then?” He said as casually as he could.

  
“Of course!” Loki cradled Tony’s face between his hands and brought it up to meet his own, pressing firmly on the other’s lips and pushing his tongue in. Tony’s mouth opened wider, and his hands found their way to Loki’s neck and waist respectively. Loki spun them around so that Tony was against the wall now, and pushed his shirt up around his shoulders, but didn’t take it off.

  
Loki did what Tony had done, and took his own sweet time exploring his chest, trailing his fingers down the sides of Tony’s ribs and sucking on his nipples. The moan this elicited from Tony made Loki aware of just how much he had been thinking about doing this. He remembered after Natasha and Steve’s tour of the tower when he had stepped out of the elevator to the sight of Tony’s ass clad in the tight shorts he slept in… Loki bit down harder at the memory, earning him another ragged moan and Tony’s hand gripping his shoulder as he moved slowly downwards.

  
Loki smiled against the zip of Tony’s jeans as he undid them, and slid them down to the top of his knees. Loki looked up at Tony, almost asking permission. Tony’s answering sigh was permission enough and Loki nuzzled Tony’s erection through his boxers with his nose and kissed his tip, rubbing his face past it but not actually taking Tony’s boxers off.

  
“Loki-“

  
“Ahh, but we can’t do this here, my needy Stark.” Loki chastised, slipping one finger beneath Tony’s boxers to stroke him before pulling the jeans back up and zipping them closed. It was a tight fit due to Tony’s current state. “What if someone were to catch us like this?” He continued to make his way back up Tony’s body to his lips, pulling his shirt down before firmly planting his own lips on Tony’s quivering ones.

  
“Your room. Ten minutes… If you can last that long.” Loki tilted his head seductively and cupped Tony’s crotch through his jeans.

  
“I won’t if you keep doing that,” Tony grunted, staggering away from the wall. “Be quick.”

  
Loki stooped to pick up his abandoned singlet and fluttered his fingers at Tony through the small window in the door as the lift doors closed on him. Loki stretched for a few minutes before teleporting onto the fifty-third floor, as it would be less suspicious to be seen walking than to teleport directly to Tony’s room with no word as to his whereabouts. Tony, on the other hand was infamous for disappearing without a reason. He passed Clint and Natasha who stared a little at his bare torso, and lied easily to them.

  
“I’m turning in early – I familiarized myself with some old routines today so I’m a tad tired, and I’ve got some reading to do. Don’t save anything for me at dinner, I won’t be up.”

  
They nodded assent and as soon as the elevator doors hissed shut behind them, Loki sprinted down the hall to Tony’s room and tapped the door twice before throwing it open. Tony was lying in the middle of his bed, with his shirt and shoes off and smiled at Loki as he kicked the door shut and locked it, then started crawling up the bed. Tony’s jeans were still on so Loki knelt between his legs and undid them, wriggling them off his legs, leaving Tony in just his boxers which were tented around his erection.

  
“Mmm, you weren’t kidding,” Loki mused, brushing a hand across the taut area on his way up to Tony’s lips. “You have excellent self control.” Loki’s praise was in the form of a kiss, but slower and more thorough than their rushed, stolen touches in the gym. Loki smiled on Tony’s lips when he felt a pair of hands push down his track pants, and he finished kicking them off himself. They were touching from the thighs down, feeling each other’s want between their legs but remained liplocked. Loki kept his eyes open as he kissed Tony, watching as emotions played across his face… bliss, want, happiness… 

  
Loki broke away too suddenly.

  
Tony’s eyes were confused as he opened them and saw Loki sitting back on his heels. “What’s wrong?”

  
Loki said nothing, but linked his arms across his knees. Tony sat up, realizing that all sexual intentions had now flown out the window. He placed a hand on the small of Loki’s back reassuringly, but removed it after he felt his muscles tense and heard his sharp intake of breath.

  
“Loki. Tell me what’s wrong, please?”

  
Tony kept his eyes on Loki’s back as it arched with his breaths, the nodules from his spine moving a little each time. “You fear me.” He said, refusing to face Tony.

  
“What? No I don’t! If anything I lo-“

  
“Don’t!” Loki hissed, turning around finally, his green eyes blazing. “I can see it, Stark. I saw it on your face, I’ve seen it in your _dreams_! How can you be with me if you _fear_ me?” Loki’s face changed from anger to sorrow in a faction of a second, his eyes glistening with repressed tears. “I haunt your sleeping hours, yet you still spend your waking hours around me… all I have ever done is burn and destroy. I thought to do right by you…”

  
“What…? Loki, I’m not scared of you. You’ve been well-behaved and charming and probably too bloody nice these last couple of months, what are you talking about?” Tony asked, still confused.

  
“I’ve seen it Tony! I’ve seen it in your head. You have nightmares about it, about _me_!” Loki screeched and suddenly all his composure vanished. It was like looking at a biscuit through the packaging, appearing fine at first but after looking closely you see the little cracks running through it, and when picked up, it crumbles. Loki had crumbled now, on the edge of Tony’s bed with his eyes wild.

  
“Am I such a monster that none can love me?” He asked quietly, gazing at the wall. “I should have stayed in the void. It would have been preferable to this- this pit which I have sunk into.” Tony stopped for second as Loki’s words sunk in: He would rather be dead than live with himself. Tony wasn’t sure if Loki was addressing him any more, but he thought it was more of an admittance than anything else.

  
“Loki.” Tony said after a considerable silence.

  
The god ignored him, his shoulders tense.

  
“Loki,” Tony repeated insistently. “Listen to me. You’re not in any pit. You think I’m afraid of you? I’m not. Would I have let you stay down the hall from me, let JARVIS allow you into my room while I slept? Fuck, would I be having this conversation _in my goddamn boxers_ if I was afraid of you?” Tony crawled as gracefully as possible across the distance of the bed to sit next to Loki. “You said you’d seen yourself in my dreams, right? You obviously haven’t. What you’ve seen is my nightmare, the old you. You’re not that any more – you’re not unstable, you don’t have the fucking tesseract messing with your beautiful head.” Tony laid a hand on Loki’s shoulder, and took it as a good sign that he didn’t shrug it off.

  
“You’re in my dreams too, you know.” Tony said quietly. “You keep seeing only the worst in yourself, Lo. Look, look in my head, look at the way I see you.” Tony insisted, turning Loki’s head and resting their foreheads together.

  
“Tony-“

  
“Do it!” Tony said fiercely, shaking Loki a little with the hand still on his shoulder.

  
Loki closed his eyes and entered Tony’s head.

  
I _t was evening, Tony had his head in Loki’s lap as he sat on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Tony closed his eyes as Loki’s hand carded through his hair and his melodious voice read from his book, making even the sappiest and most obscure poetry sound like music to his ears. Tony would have to get him to read a physics textbook some time…_

  
The dream morphed into a new one.

  
_Tony was being carried and he was aware of a sharp stabbing pain in his side and a dull throbbing in his head, and reached up a hand to grasp the shoulder of the person carrying him. Loki’s voice issued from somewhere above him, reassuring._   
_“Stark, I’m going to teleport us to the jet, understand?”_   
_Yes, Tony wanted to reply, I understand. I trust you with my life._   
_“Stark, we’re in the jet now. You’ll be fine… I’ve got you.”_   
_You’ve got me, he thought, of course it would be you. He tried to tell Loki to keep holding him, but his treacherous eyes wouldn’t stay open…_

  
Again, the dream changed.

  
_It was a Stark Industries party, one that Tony had to attend. It was boring and dull, a hopeless night – even the bartender looked bored, and that was saying something as Tony had already been to see him three times. A band started playing from somewhere in the room, nothing too jazzy, but not exactly slow. Tony stayed where he was on the edge of the room, uninterested._   
_“What, not going to ask me to dance?” Someone crooned from beside him. Tony turned to face Loki dressed impeccably in a black suit, his jacket open on his green tie and white shirt._   
_“I thought you were never going to ask,” Tony announced, pulling Loki towards the middle of the now-empty room, and began waltzing with him, resting his head on the taller man’s shoulder after a time. Suddenly, they were back in the tower, lying down on Tony’s bed with Loki fast asleep as Tony traced patterns on his ribcage…_

  
Loki withdrew then, putting his hand on the back of Tony’s neck.

  
“Do you dream about me a lot, then?” He asked.

  
Tony laughed a little. “Oh, only every night since the time you wore that green button up and gave me a boner.” Loki smiled and Tony could see it with their foreheads pressed together. “You’re not the monster you make yourself out to be, you know.” Tony said seriously. “You can’t possibly tell me that you were fully responsible for your actions under the Chitauri. I saw what your glowstick of destiny did to Barton, he didn’t have a chance.”

“No, I wasn’t completely responsible for what I did,” Loki admitted. “But I could have stopped myself. The tesseract simply built on the emotions I already felt, the things I hated about myself, about the world. I had all those things inside me already… the tesseract simply gave me an outlet.”

  
There was a pause as they simply held each other close, breathing the same air.

  
“I’m not saying what you did was excusable, or that anyone will ever forget about it, but you didn’t have full control.” Tony looked Loki directly in the eye. “You’re not a monster. You might have been before, but you’re not now.”

  
Loki nodded slowly, and Tony took the opportunity to grip his chin and kiss him to prove his point.

  
“I love you, Loki. You _can_ be loved, because _I_ love you, don’t you see?” Tony whispered.

  
Loki’s smile wobbled a little, and Tony could see that his repressed tears from earlier had not quite gone away, so kissed Loki’s eyelids too.

  
“Come on, lie down.” Tony insisted, pulling Loki back towards the middle of the bed. “Just lie down, don’t do anything. Just lie next to me.” Loki allowed himself to be led back to the centre of the bed, all previous sexual intentions forgotten. He tucked himself under the sheets and duvet next to Tony, who moved up and spooned him from behind. Tony reached an arm over and rested his palm on Loki’s stomach by his navel, rubbing in soothing circles to further calm Loki.

  
“I’m sorry,” Loki murmured. “I was going to please you, but-“

  
“Don’t apologize, Lo. There’s plenty of time for that. You needed to get that off your chest. I’m happy enough for now.” He brushed Loki’s hair aside and kissed the nape of his neck lightly, still rubbing his hand in circles. “If you’re really that upset about it, how about the first one to wake up in the morning wakes up the other with sex?”

  
Loki huffed out a laugh. “Deal. And Tony?”

  
“M-hm?”

  
“I love you, too.” Loki turned his head to kiss Tony, like they were sealing a pact.

  
Tony kept peppering the back of Loki’s neck and shoulderblades with small kisses until he felt the god relax into sleep, and even after Tony himself finally drifted off, he did not dream of his nightmare, and he did not let go of Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one might take a while (nothing too long, maybe 2 weeks max) because I keep getting bogged down with other work, so again, I apologize in advance.


	10. Knowing Me, Knowing You

The first to wake in the morning was Tony. If he was completely honest with himself, he wasn’t unhappy about this either. After Loki’s outburst the night before Tony figured he could use something to take his mind off earthly cares.

Tony hadn’t let go of Loki in the night. Even when they drifted apart a little in sleep, Tony kept a firm grip on Loki’s wrist so that they were still touching when he woke.

The sheets were coiled between his and Loki’s legs with the duvet in a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed. Tony disentangled his legs and slid down so that he was lying between Loki’s legs which had become splayed in his sleep. Tony let his hand ghost lightly over the skin on the inside of Loki’s thigh, enjoying watching Loki’s brow crease a little at his touch. The muscles in his thigh twitched, but his legs remained spread as they were.

Tony crept his hand up further, brushing against the elastic waistband of Loki’s underwear before slowly, carefully rolling them down. He managed to get them off Loki’s legs completely without too much difficulty, and smiled a little when he saw that Loki was half-hard. Apparently gods weren’t exceptions to the occasional morning wood.

Tony gently put his hands on Loki’s thighs, hesitating – they had agreed on this, but would Loki still want it? Tony decided to try his luck and put his mouth onto the cock before him and once he felt the skin beneath his tongue all his uncertainty vanished. He moved his mouth around, taking in different amounts of Loki.

When Tony looked up after slowly licking around Loki’s tip, the god’s eyes were open, pupils blown and dark, watching him, wanting him. Tony smiled, licking a stripe up Loki’s underside, now fully hard.

Tony heard him exhale a little too loudly and mouthed at his hip, biting down and making Loki squirm and put his hands on Tony’s shoulders, pressing behind his knees with his heels.

“No, no, go back to your work!” He complained as Tony raised himself for a kiss, but stopped at Loki’s words and pleading eyes.

“This work, you mean?” He wrapped a hand around Loki’s cock, and stroked down slowly, watching Loki’s reaction.

“ _Why are you still clothed?”_ He demanded slightly breathlessly and flexed his hips, pushing up into Tony’s fist and clutching his shoulder.

“You can fix that,” Tony offered, thinking that perhaps he could get Loki to get them off with his teeth, but the breath rushed out of him as Loki rolled him over and practically tore his boxers off. He didn’t think much after that when Loki pressed right up into him, rubbing their bare crotches together and kissing the gasp off his lips while he worked a thigh between Tony’s legs to press them even closer.

“You know,” Loki said slowly, when he stopped kissing Tony. “I feel rather cheated. You didn’t even wake me up with proper sex.” He dipped his head and licked Tony’s flushed nipple as if to prove his point, but got distracted when it made Tony writhe and moan. He took it fully into his mouth then, pulling and nipping at the skin which elicited further noises of pleasure from Tony. Loki quietly stored away that information.

“No, no, stop trying to distract me!” Tony’s hands were busy on Loki’s back, exploring his skin and finding a small, dark tattoo of a snake between his shoulder blades he hadn’t noticed the night before and stroking it with gentle fingers. “ _I_ was the first to wake up, _I’m_ supposed to be torturing _you!”_

“Oh, torture is it? I can think of a couple worse things.” Loki’s words held promise, and Tony arched his hips up, trying to make him deliver.

Loki twisted the nipple he had been sucking on, sending a jolt of pain to Tony’s brain. _Fuck, he’s kinky,_ Tony thought.

Suddenly there were no hands on him, no thighs pressed against his, no mouth eagerly exploring his skin. Loki was sitting in the chair he had been in when Tony was recovering from his epic hangover, having been put back in it’s original position and was idly inspecting his nails. Naked.

“What are you doing?” Tony said, not caring that he was whining. He _wanted_ Loki.

“You implied torture, so this is what I’m giving you. I want to see how long you can last without me.” Loki grinned wolfishly, all teeth and promises, and Tony groaned in despair.

“No,” He sighed, crawling to the edge of the bed on his stomach and stretching an arm out, even though Loki was half a room away. “Loki…” He could feel his erection pressed into the bed, uncomfortably hard, and knew that Loki wasn’t going to give in.

“Loki!” He whined again as heat curled in his loins, leaking precome.

Loki stood from the chair and sauntered towards the bed, stopping so that his own erection was just out of reach of Tony’s desperate hands.

“Tell me how much you want me.”

Tony rolled onto his back, arching his hips once towards Loki to show him just how much his body was straining for him. “I want you, Loki.”

“Can’t have me.” Loki purred, strolling around the bed and watching Tony scramble across the mattress to be near him. “Not yet.”

“Loki, I _want_ you, _now_.” Tony tried, reaching again, but Loki remained a few centimetres too far away. He rotated his hips, fucking _teasing_ him.

“No, still can’t have me.” Loki’s eyes gleamed. He was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Tony rolled himself into the middle of the bed upside down, resting his feet on the pillows so that his head was nearest to Loki and took himself in his own hand. He was getting desperate now, painfully hard and Loki was still teasing him. A pair of strong hands gripped both his wrists and pinned them above his head, well out of reach of his cock.

“No.” Loki growled, face above him. “No touching. You have to tell me how much you want me first.”

“ _Loki, I want you!”_ Tony gasped, bucking shamelessly in an effort to make Loki cave in. He stopped when he realized what Loki wanted.

He wanted to make Tony beg.

“I’m not going to-” Tony began but was cut off.

“Oh no? Shall I hold you like this until you don’t want me to slowly run my hands down your cock and feel you give way beneath me, hm?”

Tony whimpered, and Loki grinned. “Didn’t think so. Are you going to tell me yet?” Loki’s face hovered above Tony’s, just far enough away that he couldn’t stretch up and crush their lips together. It didn’t stop him from trying though but Loki’s grip was like iron on his wrists, keeping him firmly pinned.

Tony let out an involuntary whimper from his denial. He was starting to ache from being held back, his cock straining for release that was being denied him. He could feel a bead of precome roll down his length, tortuously slow and moaned again.

“Please,” He whispered, giving up his efforts to twist free. “Loki, please, I need you.”

His feline grin sent shudders up Tony’s spine, and he was dimly aware of his wrists being released, but got caught up in Loki’s lips pressed firmly against his and a tongue pressing against his own.

Loki climbed onto the bed and positioned himself directly above Tony, pausing to watch before Tony’s eyes closed and his mouth parted in anticipation, feeling hips press down and grind them together, relishing in the friction. Tony seemed to come alive under Loki, bucking up into him and clutching at his shoulders again while his other hand familiarized itself with the shape of his lower back. Tony’s breath was hot against Loki’s neck, but hitched when Loki slipped a hand down and grasped them both in one hand pumping down slowly, already slick from precome and sweat. Tony shuddered, biting into Loki’s shoulder and leaving crescent shaped teeth marks there before soothing them with his tongue, darting it out along Loki’s collarbone to taste his skin.

“Loki-” Tony breathed, but was silenced with a hard kiss, followed by several placating ones to his forehead and nose.

“I am aware that you like the sound of your own voice, Stark, but now is not the time.”

Tony huffed a breathless laugh that turned into a gasp when Loki angled his wrist just so and ran his thumb over Tony’s exposed head, making him arch his spine up further and _fuck that felt good._

He kept rutting up into Loki’s hand, eyes flicking half closed with every downward stroke and one hand fisted in the sheets while the other continued to grab at Loki’s waist, back and arms.

Tony could hear the slicking of Loki’s hand in tandem with feeling it, the wet noises practically obscene. He leaned up and kissed Loki, biting his lower lip but yelping himself as Loki gripped them harder. Tony sat up then, Loki in his lap so he could rest their foreheads together.

“You begged for me, Stark.” Loki said, and Tony felt a small surge of pride that his voice was ragged and low. “Are you going to beg for me to release you?”

Tony was about to reply snappily when Loki removed his hands altogether, leaving Tony hanging on the edge, his toes just over and leaning forward. The loss of touch almost sent him over anyway, but then Loki’s hand was back, gripping the base of his cock, hard, not letting him near the freedom of his orgasm.

“I asked you a question.” Loki growled, eyes bright and hard.

Tony keened silently, trying to gain any friction he could but Loki’s hand was tight at his base. It was like trying to squeeze water from concrete.

“Loki…”

“Not good enough. I can be patient when I need to be.” Loki’s voice was still rougher than usual, and who was Tony kidding, it was fucking _hot._

“Loki-“ Tony was choking on his own words. _Why was it so goddamn hard to say please??_ “Please, Loki, please let me go, please,” It all came out in a rush, making Loki’s smile even wider as he loosened his hand and pumped a single stroke, Tony feeling the press of another cock against his own and then he was coming, _finally_ he was coming.

He shuddered a few times, hips rolling until he felt another flush of heat over his stomach telling him that Loki had let go too.

His forehead still rested against Loki’s, and he could see the damp strands of hair plastered against his temples, his swollen lips slightly parted and green eyes hooded while he continued to ride out the last moments of their release.

“You’re beautiful like this,” Tony murmured, tucking a lock of dark hair behind Loki’s ear. He expected Loki to argue or stiffen, show his disbelief in some way, but he only wrapped his arms across Tony’s shoulders and pulled them down onto the bed together.

“I’m always beautiful, Stark. It’s one of my many redeeming qualities.” He replied, keeping his legs entwined with Tony’s so that they bracketed his hips.

“You’ve spent too much time around me, you’re picking up my bad habits.” Tony kissed his nose affectionately. “So, feeling awake yet?”

Loki’s red lips curved up into a smile before kissing Tony’s chin. “Nothing a shower can’t fix,” He moved a little, slipping in the mess that coated both their stomachs. “You need one too.”

Tony groaned when Loki pulled away from him and rolled to the edge of the bed.

“Couldn’t you zap us clean or something?” He grumbled. It was by no means early but not late either, meaning that Tony wasn’t going to get a nap in before he had to socialize and pretend not to care about the finger bruises that were at this very moment blossoming across his waist.

“I could…” Loki drawled, idly making his way towards the bathroom. “But showering is so much more fun, especially with two.” He raised an eyebrow.

It was all the persuasion Tony needed.

*********

Half an hour later saw a clean Loki and Tony emerge from the bathroom, and if Loki had managed to get Tony off again in the shower then hey, he wasn’t complaining.

Tony pulled Loki in for a kiss before he teleported to his own room, not wanting to risk meeting any other Avengers in the hallway if they both emerged from Tony’s room.

Tony huffed a small sigh, and pulled on some clothes for the day.

“Jarvis, delete security footage from the master bedroom last night.”

“Already done, sir. Would you like me to replace it with dummy surveillance in case Agent Romanoff inspects the tapes?”

“Yeah, great. Who else is up?”

“Sensory scans show that in addition to you and Master Loki, Doctor Banner is the only other person awake. Doctor Banner has not yet left his room, however.”

“Excellent,” Tony said, more to himself. He could sneak out and go to breakfast with Loki without anyone interrupting their peaceful hand-holding.

Tony slipped into the hall and knocked on Loki’s door, smiling when he opened it now wearing clothes. “Sir-“ Jarvis began but Tony ignored him.

He grabbed Loki’s hand and jerked him into the hall for a kiss before starting to tow him towards the elevator.

 “Tony?”

The voice made him spin around, throwing an arm out instinctively to protect his friend – lover? – behind him. He dropped it as casually as he could, trying to pull it off as a dramatically fabulous reaction to his own name.

“Bruce!” Tony greeted him. He worked to keep calm, praying that Bruce would do the same. “How you doin’?”

“Were you just… holding hands with Loki?” He asked slowly, and Tony was only a little reassured that there was no anger in his gaze. Yet.

Tony scrubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “Yeah, he was feeling a little shaky so I-“ 

“Tony.” Loki said quietly. Tony turned to face him, hoping desperately that Loki was going to lie their way out of this mess. “Stop lying. It’s been three weeks. They deserve to know.”

“Deserve to know what, exactly?” Bruce said insistently.

Tony figured he’d already shot himself in the foot, so he may as well go ahead and poke the wound.

“Uh, Loki and I are a thing. Like, together, a thing.” He blurted, subtly stepping back.

Bruce made no move to advance at them. In fact, he didn’t move at all for a good twenty seconds, during which Tony took a few more steps back and tapped his head to tell Loki to talk to him.

_Loki! What are we going to do if he goes green rage on us? I hear he beat you up pretty well last time,_ Tony thought as kindly as possible. Loki was a formidable opponent, but he’d been out of action after his last run in with the Hulk.

- _Ye of little faith, Stark. I’ve been here three months. If he was going to kill me, he’d have done it in the dead of night in my third week here. Don’t you have your armour on call, anyway? I can teleport us out if I need to, but I can’t guarantee your floor’s safety._

Tony sighed in relief, not just for his floor but for Loki too. Part of him twisted up at the thought that the man who had him pinned on the bed less than half an hour ago might be hurt on his account.

“So what you’re saying is that you’re in cahoots with Loki now?” Bruce said slowly, uncurling his fists and breathing through his nose. “I’m not going to lash out, Tony, there’s been a weirdly happy air around you all week… I just kind of wish it was someone other than Loki.”

“So… you’re not going to smash me into my own floor?”

Bruce laughed without humour. “No. I probably should have seen this one coming to be honest. He’s-“ He pointed at Loki, “the one who got you off your ass and into the world again. He actually came to me concerned for your welfare.”

Tony turned a skeptical eyebrow onto Loki, who shrugged. “I healed your liver for you, so if you’ve been feeling especially energetic then you’re welcome.”

Bruce actually laughed out loud at that, and started heading towards the elevator, pushing past them. “You coming?” He gestured to the steel doors as they slid open.

“Bruce.” Tony was in shock a little. “I just told you I was in a gay relationship with a guy who threw me out of a window and burnt down half of New York and you’re _absolutely fine with it?_  And did you just use the word 'cahoots'?” Tony was more than a little put out about this.

Who was he kidding, he was expecting the full Hulk deal with added smash on the side.

“If it counts for anything, I was under the influence of dark magic.” Loki put in, as he stepped in beside Bruce. “Tony, hurry up, the doors are closing.”

Tony was standing in the hallway, stunned. _What the fuck just happened?_ He told one of his close friends that he was in a homosexual relationship with a _god_ , no less, and he just accepted it? He had pretty sweet fucking choices in friends, then. He coaxed his legs into moving, taking the elevator up with Loki and Bruce.

“You’re a big boy, Tony. I assume you already know what you’re getting into, so there’s no point in me telling you to be careful or any of that bullshit. I just really hope you know what you’re doing.” Bruce said. Tony was rather reassured by his trust in the matter.

There was a rather full pause. Loki looked contemplative in the corner, and Bruce was absolutely at ease. It seemed that Tony was the only one who wondered just how the hell his morning had progressed from getting a hand job to announcing he was in a relationship with a criminal. It was definitely not a part of his plan of action. It was bound to happen eventually, he concluded, and it was best that they announced themselves sooner rather than later. He supposed that with Bruce out of the way he and Loki would have to start tackling the other Avengers and springing the news on them. Natasha would be okay, Clint would probably give him hell for it, Steve would live after his initial manly shock and Thor… well, Thor they would deal with when they came to him. Tony broke the silence just before the elevator ground to a halt at the dining floor.

“You know, I still reckon that you have a massive bag of weed somewhere.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so, there it is, out in the open (finally). Any suggestions/feedback welcome!


	11. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “To business then,” Loki rubbed his hands together. Tony wondered how he was going to break the news, but was spared the extra brainpower when Loki barreled on. “Tony and I are an item.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT YO, HERE'S THE DEALIO  
> 1: I'm really sorry for not updating in like a month, I had exams and then my plot structure fell to bits so I've been sorting that out before continuing. Have this slightly longer chapter as compensation.  
> 2: I will now a have a regular update day to avoid shit like this happening again. Updates on Fridays, probably later in the evening.  
> 3: I'm really glad that you guys have stuck around through all my rubbish, and I'm sorry I keep holding this up, but we're on track now and hopefully you can get down to enjoying the story!

Breakfast was an uncomplicated affair. Bruce acted normally, doing his usual thing and eating his granola in silence while he read. Tony grasped Loki’s hand under the table and stroked his thumb across his wrist, feeling his pulse beating evenly underneath the skin there. They kept their hands linked until they had to let go to actually eat, which was fortunate really, because Thor chose that moment to enter the room.

“Anthony! Banner! Loki! Good morning to you all.”

“Is it really, Thor? How do you know we’re having a good morning? I might have had the worst morning of my life so far and you’ve just called it good.” Loki shot back at him.

Tony kicked him under the table. So he was the worst morning of Loki’s life? Loki caught his eye and winked at his raised eyebrows. He then shook his head imperceptibly and slowly wet his lips, just to prove that he was kidding. Tony’s heart rate kicked up several notches at the sight of Loki’s tongue, slow and teasing.

“I meant no disrespect, brother. I merely thought to use the Midgardian gre-“

“Calm yourself Thor, I jest.”

Thor couldn’t have looked more surprised. In Loki’s three months in the tower he had been a little less that cordial to Thor, though not openly spiteful like he was the first few days. He still hadn’t called Thor his ‘brother’ yet, but Tony figured that since they weren’t at each other’s throats, it was a step in the right direction.

“You seem happy today, Loki.” Thor said cautiously as he sat down next to Bruce who had huffed at Loki’s curt response before returning to his book. Tony leant forward to spy the cover: It was a natural radioactivity textbook. For fuck’s sake.

“Indeed, I have not been this happy in some time.” Loki said, taking a dainty bite out of his toast. He had never really gotten around to liking cereal, but did eat a cooked breakfast when offered one, as long as it had toast with it. Tony wondered about his fixation and stored it away to ask about later.

“Might I ask what has caused it then?” Thor just kept pushing, and Tony was pretty sure that Loki was going to snap at him for it and tell him to keep his big blond head out of his business.

“Am I not permitted to bask in the joy of our company?” Loki raised an eyebrow in mock concern, spreading his arms to encompass the occupants of the room.

Tony snorted and kicked him lightly under the table, making his arms wobble as he held them out. Thor continued to look slightly miffed at Loki’s mood but chose to say nothing, lending a rather awkward tinge to the silence.

Tony set his glass down loudly. “So! Bruce. Physics, huh?”

He didn’t need to look at Loki to know what expression he was wearing. His open-mouthed disdain was practically searing itself into the side of his face without any help at all.

Bruce’s expression didn’t falter one bit as kept reading his page and replied, “Yeah, I figured I needed something to counter the chemistry in the room.”

Tony choked loudly on chunk of scrambled egg at that, and it took several slaps on his back from Loki before he was able to breathe properly again, his face almost as scarlet as Thor’s cape. Bruce was chuckling to himself, and Tony vowed that he would get him back for that later.

Thor looked between Tony’s red face, Loki’s smirk and Bruce’s carefully neutral but amused expression. “I’m missing something, aren’t I?”

The corners of Bruce’s mouth twitched so that he was wearing a curiously wide expression, like he was trying his hardest to hold back a smile. Tony shot him a warning look before shaking his head at Thor.

“Scientists.”

Tony finished eating as quickly as possible and took the elevator one floor down to the common room, tapping his temple when Loki looked at him before the doors slid shut.

Loki’s touch on his mind was gentle. _-Can I help you?_

_-Damn right you can help me, what the fuck are we going to tell Thor?!_

His mind was quiet for a moment as he left the elevator before the next thought brushed across his awareness, almost tentatively.

_-About us? So we’re going to tell them?_

Tony tilted his head fondly and sat on the couch, closing his eyes. _–I guess so. I mean, Bruce already knows and we didn’t exactly tell him to keep it a secret did we? I don’t have a problem with it, if that’s what you’re worried about. Why would I? I’ve already embarrassed myself enough times that they know about. Hell, I’m Tony Stark, king of public embarrassment, what does it matter if some of my colleagues find out I’m in a relationship with a god who threw me out of a window-_

_-Tony._ Loki’s thought cut through the stream of steady panic that was welling up in Tony’s brain. _–You don’t have to tell anyone anything._

Tony inhaled and exhaled slowly, his head between his knees. – _No, I want this. I don’t want to be lurking around in the shadows, hoping that nobody catches us kissing or holding hands or something. I want to tell them._

He could practically feel Loki’s approving smile through their connection. _–I’m comfortable with whatever you want to do. Bruce has just left… Shall we tell Thor now? I think it best to get him out of the way in case he finds out from Clint._

Tony swallowed nervously, both at the thought of Clint breaking the news to Thor in the most insensitive way possible and at the fact that he was about to tell his partner’s incredibly strong and capable older brother that he was in a relationship with his little bother. _–Okay. Now it is._

He made to stand up from the couch and get back into the elevator, but a hand grasped his elbow and spun him so that he was chest-to-chest with a person whose face held green eyes crinkled at the edges in a smile.

Loki kissed him quickly. “It’s faster this way.”

Tony saw small black tendrils curling around them, and felt as if he were being hugged much too tightly, crushing his ribs, squeezing him out, he was going to die it was trick his time had come where was the light-

He gasped for breath as he felt solid ground beneath his feet again, sagging slightly against Loki who placed an arm around his shoulder and kept his other hand firmly on Tony’s elbow.

He was dimly aware of Thor asking him a question.

“Anthony, are you well?”

“He’s fine Thor, he just needs a moment.”

 Someone whispered in his ear, tickling him a little. “Stark, breathe. I’m here.”

Tony forced his head up and leveled the most steely look he could muster over his dizziness at Loki.

“If you ever do that again without warning me, so help me Loki, I’ll fucking _kill you._ ”

Thor looked shocked, but Loki only laughed and helped him towards the kitchen table to sit down. “Fair enough.”

Once Tony was seated with Loki next to him, Loki gestured for Thor to join them at the table.

“I wish to speak with you, Thor.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea after Anthony-“

“Stark is a big boy, Thor. He can handle it. Now sit.” Loki’s tone remained sociable but firm, brooking no room for argument. Tony thought privately that tone was the sort of one that belonged either in a courtroom or a bedroom.

Thor promptly sat down. He looked at Tony out of the corner of his eye, something that Loki did not fail to see.

“It concerns him too.”

Thor nodded slowly, confusion still set on his face.

“To business then,” Loki rubbed his hands together. Tony wondered how he was going to break the news, but was spared the extra brainpower when Loki barreled on. “Tony and I are an item.”

Tony expected rage from Thor, definitely a summoning of Mjölnir at least, but definitely not a crinkling of eyes or a chuckle in his direction.

“You jest,” Thor was still laughing to himself. “Anthony would be no match for a god.”

Tony’s ego deflated a little at the jibe, and he opened his mouth to make a smart retort, but he noticed that Loki’s eyes had lost their laughter crinkles at the insinuation of Tony’s weakness.

“I speak the truth, Thor. I can share a memory if you require proof.”

The thunder god’s eyes went wide and he shook his head violently, replying “No!” almost at the same time as Tony shouted “That won’t be necessary!”

Loki smirked and leaned back in his chair, a smug look on his face. Thor looked like he wanted to simultaneously congratulate Loki and throw the table out of the window. Tony didn’t mind which he decided to act on, as long as he could be out of the building when it happened.

“So, you two are…” Thor looked between them, gesturing vaguely.

“If you are referring to the relationship which Stark and I are in, which I told you about and you did not believe, then yes. Yes we are.”

Thor lowered his arms and looked at a loss for words. A hard edge found it’s way into his eyes and Tony took a moment to start edging slowly to the lip of his chair and towards the elevator, ready to bolt if things looked like they were going to go downhill.

“I…” Thor took a deep breath and seemed to compose himself. “I am glad for you bother. Perhaps not as glad as I should be, or have cause to be, but I am glad you have found grounding here.”

Loki inclined his head graciously, accepting Thor’s blessing. Tony didn’t bother to hide his sigh of relief and sat back in his chair, leaning his head back.

“However, know that if you threaten the safety of the Avengers or the midgardians by manipulating Tony, I will act as I see fit.” Tony raised his head sharply to look at Thor, but he had eyes only for Loki. “You are here to learn compassion and humility. I am glad that you have found one, but please brother, I hope you know what you are doing. For your sake.” His face was full of concern that made Tony feel like an intruder, like he shouldn’t be here. This conversation wasn’t about him any more. He must have fidgeted, because Loki sought out his hand and gripped it under the table, connecting them.

It felt almost strange to Tony how much a simple linking of hands could comfort him. He had never been in any kind of lasting relationship, and his time with Pepper, though long, admittedly, was more a mutual understanding that neither could survive the effects of Tony’s lifestyle alone. He liked Loki, and liked to think that Loki maybe liked him back. He couldn’t shake a small nagging thought at the back of his mind whenever he thought about it, the one that insistently repeated over and over that it was Loki that had broken him, Loki that made him suffer through his nightmares. Tony firmly told it to _shut the fuck up_ because after their little heart to heart about blame and other emotional bullshit that he generally made a point of avoiding, Tony could confidently say that he knew Loki pretty damn well. At least, he thought he did. Loki’s hand on his own silenced any further doubtful thoughts, and any further appearance they might have made was postponed by Thor.

“I am glad for you both, truly.” His smile was tentative, like he was unsure if he was allowed to be happy for them.

“Thank you, Thor.” Loki bowed his head once, a small smile playing around the edges of his own lips. “And with that, I leave you both. I have things to attend to. Stark, have fun with Thor. Play nice.” He squeezed Tony’s hand once more before letting go, and Tony watched as Loki’s form began to disappear. It was not black tendrils like he had though, but rather green ones that curled and grew like something alive around the edges of Loki’s frame before he faded from sight. When it wasn’t unexpected, teleportation was _cool._

Thor cleared his throat, and Tony dragged his eyes away from Loki’s now-empty chair. He became acutely aware that he was alone in a room with the older brother of the man whose cock he had sucked not four hours ago.

“Tony, I am happy for you both, I really am, but please, whatever game you think you are playing, I urge you to stop it.”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up. “Game? This isn’t a game to me Thor, I wouldn’t play with Loki. If you’re worried about our professional relationship I can tell you now, I’m not cutting corners for him.”

Thor was quiet, and rested his chin on his steepled hands. “You are serious about this, then,” He remarked, more to himself but Tony replied anyway.

“Thor, he’s supposed to be a war criminal, and he threw me out of a window the first time we met. I’m a little insulted you think I’m not.”

Thor chuckled, and Tony considered it a win on his part. “I am aware, Tony, it’s just… Loki doesn’t give his heart away easily. He despises even feigning affection, and what is between you is far too elaborate to be fake. I worry that you’ll make him regret it, and that the rest of us will be picking up the broken pieces of you both. If he’s let you into his heart, he intends for you to stay.”

Tony had never experienced a heart attack, but he was pretty sure that this was what it must feel like. Like his heart was too big for his chest, beating a bloody tattoo against the inside of his ribs and a tight feeling just underneath it, like a hole that had been stuffed too full with something solid. He knew exactly what it was he was feeling, but he didn’t want to name it, even after telling Loki that he did the night before. It was something best left to the darkness of bedrooms and hallways with stolen kisses, not for open admission with members of his family.

“I-“ Tony swallowed, gathering his thoughts more securely. “Then I will. I’m not going to leave him hanging. He’s been through hell enough without me adding to his piles of bullshit.” It was gruff and hardly the affectionate statement that was likely to follow a declaration like Thor’s, but it was all Tony and there was nothing insincere about it. Thor smiled at him.

“If you say you will, then I believe it to be true.” It turned more content as Tony gave him a watery smile in return. “Now, Loki can be controlling, but don’t let him pin you to the mattress because according to one of his previous lovers, he likes it when they ge-“

“Thor, _stop!_ ”

Tony’s jaw felt like it was hanging around somewhere near his knees. _Was Thor trying to share Loki’s sexperiences with him?_ Tony didn’t even want to know why one of Loki’s old partners was getting chatty with Thor about what went on between the sheets. Tony had had his fair share of interesting sexperiences, but no way in hell would he tell them to his brother (if he had one). It was times like this Tony was glad he was an only child.

“Woah big guy, hold up a minute there. As fascinating as they are, I really don’t want to hear about Loki’s times between the sheets, especially not from you.”

Thor chuckled and the table shook a little. Tony passed his hand over his face. It had been a long morning.

“So now that I’ve received your blessing or whatever, can I go? The rest of the team will want to know about this.”

Thor nodded. “Of course. And I do give it, my blessing. I wish you both the best.”

Tony stood, and made his way to the elevator. “Thor, it’s not like we’re getting married or anything, hold off the ‘have a nice life’ spiel.” He paused for a second as the doors opened. “But if we do, just think! You’ll be my brother-in-law and Jarvis’s uncle!” Tony flashed his best shit-eating grin as the realization dawned on Thor and his face went slack. The doors slid shut and Tony laughed, his voice ringing against the metal walls.

An interesting morning, yes, but a good one.

*********

Tony took the elevator down to the common floor, and could hear the sound system going through the doors of the lift. He stepped out and saw Clint and Natasha relaxing on the couches, watching an action film.

“Jarvis, lower volume to fifteen percent!” He had to shout to be able to hear himself over the noise of their movie.

“Hey! What’s your problem?” Clint stood up and quickly paused the movie, a look of outrage on his face. Natasha merely turned her head and scowled at him, but not with enough force that he was worried by it.

“I’ve got an announcement to make.” Tony slung himself into the arm chair adjacent to the couch, leaning back into it to appear more relaxed. He was dealing with trained asssasins, and they could probably read every ploy he was using to make them more at ease, but he figured it was better to have them less wary than to have them raging and concerned.

“If your announcement is anything to do with Loki’s, then you’re too late and we’ve heard already.” Natasha’s scowl was replaced with her usual look of mild disdain. Tony sat up straighter, a frown pulling his eyebrows together.

“What was his announcement about?”

Natasha smiled smugly at him. “Stuff we already guessed. How you two are painfully gay for each other, you’re obviously fucking and that we should stay the hell away from you since you’re now his property. Actually, speaking of the deed,” She turned and punched Clint solidly in the arm before holding the same hand out, palm up. The bowman grumbled and fished around in his pocket before producing a twenty dollar note and shoving it into Natasha’s hand.

“Betting again?” Tony shook his head in mock exasperation. “Jesus, Nat you should run a casino. Any other wagers you want to tell me about? We’re not ‘painfully gay’… and we are _not_ fucking.” He pointed a finger at her sternly.

She smiled daintily at him, the picture of innocence. “Whatever you say, Stark. Betting’s not luck like you think, it’s calculated risk - And only the one where I’m betting that you’ll bottom.” She flashed her teeth and looked him over a little. “But I’d say you haven’t done _that_ particular deed yet, so bets are still on.”

Tony, who had initially balked at her statement, saw an opening. “How do you know? I might have topped.”

Natasha and Clint whipped their heads around at the same time to stare at him wide-eyed. Nat scrutinized him for a moment before silently handing a tenner back to Clint. He whooped in appreciation and gave Tony a thumbs up.

“Well, since Loki jumped the gun already, I guess I’ll leave you to it.” Pushed at the edges of the arm chair and shoved himself to his feet. He was surprisingly steady on them after Loki’s teleporting, and was definitely proud about it. Clint quickly stepped over to his side and Tony cocked an eyebrow as he leaned in towards his ear.

“Should I run with the money before she realizes? Because even if you topped you’d be sitting funny. I should know.”

Tony whipped his head around so quickly he was amazed he didn’t crick his neck in the process. “ _What?”_

Clint shrugged a little and leaned back in again. “I had an interesting youth, leave it at that. Let’s gap.”

Clint backed away from him and walked purposefully towards the elevator. “Getting drinks!” He called at Natasha, who nodded and turned back towards the TV, fiddling with the remote. Tony gathered his thoughts and trailed after Clint.

“Nice bluff, by the way.” Clint remarked as the doors slid shut. Tony rounded on him.

“Clint Barton, you are a man of many mysteries. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

He only smirked and stepped out of the lift a couple of floors before Tony, who continued to ride it down to the gym level. It was the most likely place for Steve to be, after all.

Tony walked past the sunken ring in the middle of the training floor towards the gym. He sent a fond smile in the direction of the padded meditation room.

Steve was lifting weights when Tony opened the door, and didn’t break his bench pressing rhythm when he heard the other man enter. He glanced over when the bar was at it’s peak, and turned his head back when he recognized Tony.

He leaned on the wall next to the door while Steve completed twelve more presses, then placed the bar back in its cradle. “What’s up Tony?”

Tony inspected his fingernails, wondering how best to approach the topic with Steve. “Has Loki been down to talk to you?”

Steve looked confused. “No. Why?”

“Son of a bitch,” Tony muttered to himself. The bastard had left Tony to flounder around with the most patriotic and idealistic Avenger. The one who was probably going to be the twitchiest about homosexuality. He decided to take a tactical approach. “Steve, how was the war for you?”

The soldier gave him a slightly disbelieving look. “It was great Tony, we grew raised gardens, had picnics every other day and fought Nazis with potato rifles. How the hell do you think it was?”

Tony resisted the urge to hit himself in the face. Tactical had worked out just great for it hadn’t it? “No, no, no, I meant like… in the bedroom department.”

Steve cocked an eyebrow at him. “Did Clint put you up to this? Are you guys trying to make jokes about my sex life again?”

Tony snorted a little, but managed to keep himself together. It _had_ been fun teasing Steve about sex and watching him blush redder than the ribbon he wore on independence day, but now was not the time.

“No, he didn’t! I just- he-“ Wow, tactical was working like a charm. “Goddammit Steve, Loki and I are in a relationship.”

And there it was. Out in the open, sitting there like something repulsive and taboo. Steve looked like he had just experience mild cardiac arrest and Tony became weirdly glad that he wasn’t holding the weights any more. He couldn’t decide if was because he thought Steve might throw them at him, or that he would have dropped them in disbelief and made Tony really uncomfortable.

“You’re _what?”_

This was good, confusion was good. At the very least, it wasn’t outright scathing. Tony suddenly realized he was almost as worked up about Steve finding out as he was about Thor. He put it down to hearing about Steve endlessly as a child, and idolizing him – _briefly,_ it was _briefly_ , dammit – in his youth. He grew out of that one when he noticed that Howard could always make time to talk about Steve but not find one spare second to glance at his own living son.

“Yeah, Loki and me. Relationship. You know, the one where two people who like each other a lot get together and-“

“Contrary to popular belief, Tony, I _do_ know what a relationship is.” Steve’s face flashed oddly sad for a second as he said this, and Tony decided to ignore it. “Loki? Really? Of all the people you could have chosen to seduce-“

“I’m sorry, seduce? Wow, Steve, it’s great to see how much you respect me and don’t have any regard for my reputation.” Tony’s anger seared up so quickly he was surprised Steve didn't get whiplash from it. _Seduce?_ How dare he even _suggest_ that Tony would manipulate Loki, a fucking _god_ to boot!

Steve scowled and folded his arms. “And it’s great to see you have so much respect for the team that you don’t go around endangering them and all of the city by… by _fraternizing with the enemy!_ ”

Tony laughed. On top of that fact that he had just used the word ‘fraternizing’ to describe him and Loki, his statement was so ridiculous that he couldn’t help himself.

“The _enemy?_ News flash Rogers, Loki’s been here four and something months, helped us on missions and saved your ass once if I remember correctly. Or you know, in case you’d forgotten that he’s also helped me more than any fucking therapist has.” Tony balled his hands into fists at his sides. He was itching to take a swing at Steve, at _anything_. He was tired of having people shit on his decisions and treat him like he should be in some sort of home. He was over forty years old, and could make decisions for himself thank you very fucking much.

Steve spluttered a bit and opened his mouth to cut back at Tony with his words, but Tony interrupted him.

“No, we’re done here. I’m with Loki, Thor knows, Thor _approves,_ and if you can’t get your head out of your ass and deal with it, then I feel bad for you. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re no longer in the forties, Rogers.”

Tony shoved off the wall and out of the gym, making sure to slam the door forcefully behind him for good measure. He heard a sound like Steve had picked up the weights and thrown them at the door, and found he didn't care.

He clenched and unclenched his fists all the way up to the rooming floor, still fuming at Steve’s reaction. He knew that there was no way in hell everybody would have been instantly accepting, but he didn’t expect Steve to be such a colossal _dick_ about it. He threw open his door and all the tension drained out of him when he found Loki curled on his bed, reading in silence. The dark-haired man looked up at him and cocked his head.

“You’re angry. Come.” Loki rolled his knees over so Tony had space to lie next to him on the bed, and Tony folded in against Loki’s lean body gratefully. He sighed and rested his head against Loki’s collarbone while the other man gently rubbed one shoulder. “Tell me what happened?”

“Steve happened. I guess we always knew that someone was going to have a problem with us, and I don’t know what I expected but it sure as hell wasn’t this. He completely lost it.” Tony looked up at Loki, who took the opportunity to kiss between his brows, dispelling the headache that had been building there.

“The all-righteous Captain can think what he likes, but that doesn’t change anything to me. You’re still mine.”

Tony smiled and kissed the underneath of Loki’s jaw, then pulled away and frowned a little. “Yeah, I’ve got a bone to pick with you about that. When did you tell Clint and Nat, and since when was I ‘your property’?”

Loki tightened the arm around Tony’s shoulder, and held him closer on the bed. It was not yet midday, but Tony felt like he was more than ready to go to sleep again.

“I told them when I left you and Thor alone. As for the second part of your question, you became my property when I decided to claim you. Will that be a problem?” His breath brushed against Tony’s temple, warm and comforting. He slid down a little further so he was more comfortable beside Loki with his head pillowed on the other man.

“Not a problem at all.”

“Good. Now sleep. I’ll wake you in time for lunch.”

Tony nodded, and closed his eyes, focusing on Loki’s rhythmic breathing. For the moment, he could just lie against his- his boyfriend. That’s what they were. He could lie against his boyfriend and pretend that they were the only two beings in the world. There was no doubt in Tony’s mind as he drifted off for a nap.

Loki was good for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for sticking around! Comments and suggestions much appreciated. Tell me where you think this is headed - I want to know what you guys think (because there are still shady areas I haven't quite sussed out yet)!


	12. The Sorcerer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plus, he was looking forward to blowing things up with his mind as opposed to his muscles. He wasn’t getting as much use out of his magic on Midgard as he had expected – the humans had a lot of machines developed for convenience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay, I have an exam today and forgot about this!

True to his word, Loki woke Tony quarter of an hour before it was an appropriate hour for lunch to give him some time to get his feet back under him and shake off the last clinging remains of his nap.

“Tony. Tony, come on, you’ve got to get up. It’s almost lunch.” Loki roused him with a shake of his shoulders, smiling when Tony rubbed at his eyes and blinked rapidly in a rather endearing way. “Welcome back to the world of the conscious.”

“Couldn’t you have just let me sleep?” He mumbled, reaching for Loki’s shirt and burying his face in his shoulder. Loki resisted the urge to cup the back of his head and hold him there. It would only encourage him and make him even more incorrigible than he was.

“Tony, it’s midday. You can’t sleep now. If you like, you can lie back down after lunch.”

“Ugh, being an adult sucks. I miss naptime.”

Loki chuckled as Tony scrunched up his face to wake himself up, still clinging to the front of Loki’s shirt. “The elevator is so far away though…”

“If you’re asking me to carry you, it’s not going to happen. I can teleport you if you like, however.”

That got him a reaction.

“Under no circumstances are you to teleport me without first warning me, are we clear?” Tony frowned at him, but so soon after waking it had little effect.

“Transparent. Now, consider yourself warned. We’re teleporting - because I’m too lazy to walk too.” Loki whispered the last part into Tony’s ear as he pulled them onto their feet and gathered his magic.

A green haze surrounded his hands as small black tendrils gathered around their bodies as they began to move through the void.

“Relax. Just hold on to me.” Loki breathed into Tony’s ear to reassure him, and felt the grip on the front of his shirt tighten. He adjusted his arm around Tony’s waist accordingly.

Though it was barely even a breath against the surface of the void, the inside face of the tendrils that curled around them as they moved remained black purely because of the nature of it, though the outside face was green with Loki’s magic. The void was exactly that – a space void of everything, that teleportation exploited the nature of. Since it contained nothing there was, theoretically, less space to move through from point A to point B, although one never actually entered the void. Magic wielders used only the barest edges of it, much like a child would wade in a rockpool instead of the ocean. The closest Loki or anyone as far as he knew had come to actually entering the void, was when he had crossed through from Asgard to Earth by the sword of Heimdall.

“Stark, you can open your eyes.” He whispered, knowing they had arrived. He had placed them slightly to the left of the elevator so that Tony would have time to recover in relative private if he needed it. He felt Tony’s head lift away from his clavicle and rubbed his thumb soothingly against Tony’s back as his eyes opened.

“Was that so bad?”

Tony wrinkled his nose. “Not that time, because you actually bothered to warn me, you sack of shit.” He stepped away from Loki’s arm and remained on his feet, which Loki saw as a considerable improvement from last time.

“I was hoping that you might have had a stronger stomach than you do – it’s not my fault you can’t handle a simple transfer of matter.”

Tony’s jaw dropped. “A simple transfer- God, I almost want you to throw me out another bloody window. Why couldn’t you leave me asleep?”

“I swore I would wake you, I’m not going to break my word.” Loki tugged on Tony’s elbow to get him to start walking towards the kitchen so they could eat. The others were already milling about the space, microwaving various things, pulling trays out of the oven and in Bruce’s case, tossing together a salad. It was all very domestic, as lunch was the one meal everybody seemed to eat together.

Loki pulled out a chair and guided Tony into it, taking hold of his elbow before the mechanic jerked it out with a scowl.

“I’m a grown goddamn man, Loki. I can take a seat by myself.”

Loki dropped his hand and responded coolly. “I am well aware, but the first time you tried that, I seem to recall that I was effectively carrying you across the room, so it’s fair to say I had my reasons.”

Clint, who had dropped into the chair opposite them snorted into his macaroni at that, and tried to pass it off as clearing his throat when Tony glared daggers at him. Loki smiled broadly and inclined his head from where he was resting his elbows against the back of Tony’s chair.

“Hey, where’s Steve?” Bruce scanned the table a few times, and came up empty handed in his search for the khaki-clad soldier. Loki had heard Clint and Tony rib him enough times on his clothing choices to know that Steve wore rather outdated fashions.

Tony shifted a little in his seat. “He and I had a bit of a disagreement, you might say. If I’m here then you can bet he won’t be.”

Bruce nodded and just went with it, ever the peacekeeper. Thor, on the other hand, stuck his nose in.

“Why? What did you disagree ove- oh.” If it weren’t himself and his partner he was talking about, Loki might have laughed at the realization dawning on Thor’s face. However, it was a lot less amusing when he was glancing between them with poorly disguised pity.

“Thor, I couldn’t care less what you or anyone else thinks. It was common courtesy that I insisted we tell you, and that doesn’t change anything about us.” Loki glanced across at Tony who had become curiously absorbed in the salt shaker, scrutinizing it intently. He resisted the urge to sigh loudly.

Tony jumped a little at Loki’s intrusion of his thoughts, and he had to stop and remember that Tony wasn’t used to constant communication by thought. He laid a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.

- _You’re incorrigible. Did you still think that I was going to care, even after I told you I didn’t?_

- _Hey, I just woke up, cut me some slack!_

 _-If you had reasonable sleeping patterns then you wouldn’t have that problem._ Loki countered.

Tony cocked his head on one side at seemingly nothing to the others, but Loki heard him.

- _Touché. You could make sure I got enough if you stayed with me…_

_-If this is a ploy to get me to sleep with you, it’s very poorly disguised._

_-I don’t need to use ploys, you’ll come of your own accord._

Loki pushed off the back of Tony’s chair and began heating himself some of the same macaroni Clint was devouring with gusto. He quirked an eyebrow over his shoulder. – _Oh? Is that a fact?_

Tony folded his arms and didn’t reply, scowling at Loki when he grinned over his shoulder again.

Loki returned to the table with two bowls of the pasta and set one in front of Tony before dropping into the chair next to him and starting to eat his own. There was silence while everyone chewed and savoured the meal, despite Steve’s absence.

“Any luck with the armour Dr. Banner?” Natasha asked after a while. All heads turned to Bruce, who swallowed his bite of salad before replying, “Not yet, but Loki agreed yesterday to come down and do some blast tests on them with me. I want to see how they react to his magic.”

Tony looked at Loki, who shrugged. It was yesterday, and didn’t directly concern Tony, so he saw no reason to tell him about it. Plus, he was looking forward to blowing things up with his mind as opposed to his muscles. He wasn’t getting as much use out of his magic on Midgard as he had expected – the humans had a lot of machines developed for convenience.

The rest of the meal was spent in companionable silence again, other than the friendly banter that broke out between them towards the end of it. When Bruce stood to take his empty plate to the sink, Loki copied him and they took the lift down to the laboratory levels. Loki had not yet been on the floor they emerged on, a large concrete space with a pane of glass separating it in half, machines and desk chairs on one side and looking through to the other, Loki saw it was decked out with various pieces of equipment and measuring devices set up around a bare circle. Bruce immediately headed for one of the chairs and took up a place in front of a monitor.

“I’m going to get you to throw a couple of reasonable sized blasts at the wyrm’s armour, okay? Nothing too big, because I’m sure that Tony didn’t equip the testing space to deal with magic. Fire and other explosions, sure, but we don’t know exactly what your magic is capable of and I doubt that’s something you’re willing to share.”

Bruce motioned to the other side of the glass and Loki was struck by how considerate he was. On Asgard, everybody had either assumed that he had possessed dark magic by theft, or had somehow gained magic and would be perfectly willing to share it all with anyone who asked. Very few considered the fact that he might have actually been born with it, and had the talent nursed in him by Frigga from a young age. Bruce had been more observant in scant few months that almost all Aesir had been their entire lives.

Loki stepped through the partition and into the ring of equipment, just as the lift hissed open and Tony wheeled out a trolley with the test object on it. He handled the armour with thick gloves, placing it in the centre of the circle and giving Loki a small wave before closing the dividing panel behind him again.

Bruce gave him a thumbs up and Loki gathered his magic to him. He started with a small tap, just enough to start a small fire if it was aimed at flammable objects. The burst of green magic made both his observers twitch from behind the glass as he flicked the energy from his fingertips with as much care as someone shaking water droplets from their hand. It hit the armour with a sharp _clink_ and made the fragment skitter back a few feet, but left no mark on it.

Bruce’s voice buzzed over the intercom to Loki’s section of the floor. “Nothing much to report. Tony’s going to clamp it down and then you can turn up the juice a bit, okay?”

Loki nodded his understanding as Tony slid the divider up and picked up the armour with the thick gloves again. “This isn’t going to poison me with magical radiation or something, is it?” He asked, eyeing the metal warily and holding it a few inches further away from his body before setting in a small dip in the floor and locking it in place with four clamps bolted into the concrete.

“Relax, Stark. It’s energy. It’s not going to kill you.” Tony sighed a little at his words, and Loki stepped closer to him as he straightened up, grabbing his chin in one hand. “I might, though…”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up and he wrested his face out of Loki’s hand to dip forward and kiss him quickly. “That’s not exactly hard to believe, considering that you threw me out of a window. It’s nice to be loved.”

Loki sighed, and let him go to hide behind the safety of the glass with Bruce. “You’re not going to let me live that down, are you?”

“It was my tower, and you threw me out of it! No way in hell am I forgetting that any time soon!” The indignant response buzzed through the speakers, and Loki shook his head fondly as Bruce once again flipped him the thumbs up.

This time, the blast of power was the size of the one he had used to flip the car in Stuttgart, and he released it with the same shooing motion, but more surely, as if swatting a fly. It made the same hollow ringing noise on impact with the armour, but clamped in place, it couldn’t move away from the impact. Upon his inspection, the armour was still unscathed, though the area of floor around it was black with residual soot and marks from the pulse. This annoyed Loki no end, and he scowled through the glass, gesturing sharply at the offending target.

“Anything?”

Bruce shook his head. “Nothing. It heated up a bit, but nothing like it was going to give way beneath it.” Bruce finished speaking and gave Loki another thumbs up.

Loki was unused to not having things yield beneath his magic. Even on Asgard, there were very few things that were impervious to magic, and he supposed that it made sense for the armour to be, but it still rankled with him. He gathered his strength around him and fired a pulse of green energy from his flattened palm, roughly the strength of a small missile. He stalked closer to the shard of armour and let out a frustrated growl when he saw that it was only smoking slightly and a little blackened, but otherwise unharmed. He didn’t bother waiting for the okay from Bruce then, simply rained blow after blow down on the alien metal, each one more powerful than the one before it.

“Loki! _Loki!_ Stop! You’re going to kill us all!”

Loki was unsure who it was that shouted at him, but lowered his arms to his sides and saw that the floor around the metal was a pitted, shattered mess with bits of steel rod and pipe showing through it, and that the armour was glowing red from the intensity of Loki’s blasts. It was no longer clamped down, but had been forced into the concrete around it, embedding it there.

Loki refused to be beaten though, and gestured sharply with one hand, his magic pulling the shard out of the floor and holding it at chest height while his other hand glowed bright green with manifested power as he brought the edge of it down on the armour, cleaving it in two with a satisfying metallic shriek. He was breathing heavily, and pushed a few stray locks of hair behind his ears before releasing a large huff of breath and turning to face the two scientists behind their glass shield.

Tony and Bruce wore matching expressions of fascinated horror from what he could see through the thoroughly blackened glass. It seemed that he had been throwing around more power than he realized.

“Well? What do the scanners show?”

Bruce’s jaw gaped, and he struggled to close it, while he looked back at the screen. “Um… heat went through the roof after that, but it looks like they’re pretty much resistant to long-range blasts of energy other than their own guns. Melee attacks, on the other hand, especially if combined with magic are very effective. The whole structure of the metal just gave way beneath it, you could probably even break it with magic alone now it’s that weak… But that doesn’t mean you should!”

Loki lowered his arm again. He _hated_ being bested by something that couldn’t even fight back, and now that he could destroy it he wasn’t allowed to? _Humans!_

“Hey Loki… were you aware that your eyes glow the same green as your magic when you use it like you were before?” There was a reverent note in Tony’s voice as he said this that made Loki turn and look at him.

“I have been told it happens, but since I’m doing the casting I haven’t actually seen it myself.”

Tony nearly shoved his chair over in his haste to leave it and get through the divider to Loki. “Then let me show you.” Loki’s head was yanked down so that his forehead rested against Tony’s, and could hear him when he growled, “Look in my head.”

Loki carefully entered Tony’s consciousness and saw himself through Tony’s eyes.

_He was standing in the middle of the test ring with a scowl on his face, his long dark hair pushed back and framing his shoulders. Bruce gave him the thumbs up and he threw a fist that flattened out so his palm faced the wyrm’s armour as a green orb flew from it and hit the armour bolted to the floor. He stalked forwards and Tony could practically hear his frustrated growl, and made to press the intercom to make a joke of some sort._

_There was a sudden flash of light, and Tony whipped back to the glass divider to see him with a grimace marring his features as he threw his fists towards the armour, hailing green magic down upon it, the impact making his hair fly back from behind his ears as his eyes-_

_His eyes glowed the same green as the magic that encased his hands, his pupils several shades darker than the iris and white that matched in colour precisely._

_“Loki!_ Loki! _Stop! You’re going to kill us all!” Bruce shouted from somewhere to Tony’s right. Tony just watched as he straightened up, the green light not leaving his eyes. He jerked one hand upwards and the armour flew out of the hole it had been forced into, hovering just above the level of his navel. His features distorted into a snarl as he swung his other hand, encased in green magic, over his head and down onto the metal. It buckled and gave beneath the force of the blow, a screech of metal tearing echoing throughout the blast lab._

_When he straightened up again and looked at the glass, the green was fading from his eyes, leaving them their usual colour. Tony felt nothing but awe…_

Loki jerked his own head away sharply from Tony’s as he broke the connection but cradled it between his hands.

“Tony Stark, you are a remarkable man.”

Tony grinned at his praise, and moved out of his hold to go inspect the armour.

“Well I’d say you beat that up pretty thoroughly. Good job, Reindeer Games.”

Loki couldn’t help but laugh as they left the lab.

*********

It was later in the week after Bruce had done what he needed to on the armour and sent the results in to SHIELD, that Tony confronted Loki. He had been expecting it, and was mildly surprised that Tony had held out this long.

They were lounging on the social floor, Clint and Natasha having left to go to a movie together, Steve loitering somewhere in his room after stoically avoiding them both all week, Bruce visiting a nearby children’s hospital (in disguise. They weren’t entirely comfortable with the incredible Hulk was wandering around the wings) and Thor off visiting Jane. The had the tower to themselves for the time being, and Loki smirked when Tony finally said what had been bugging him all week.

“Loki, would you mind if I took a sample of your magic? I want to see what it’s made of and if we have anything that it won’t react with.”

Loki wasn’t expecting the latter half of that sentence, and stiffened slightly. Tony sat up and caught on quickly.

“I’m not going to use it against you, I swear it. I just want to make somewhere you can use it without threatening the rest of us by destroying the structural supports. Would that be okay with you?”

Loki relaxed again, and Tony returned his head to Loki’s lap. He made a pleased noise when Loki started carding his fingers through his hair.

“If it will make you happy, then yes. I’m surprised you didn’t ask sooner after the whole green eyes display… How will you sample it?”

Tony was quiet for a moment. “In the same lab as before, but I’ll set up different equipment that’ll measure the energy levels and other shit involved. Sound okay?”

“Sounds fine.” Loki leaned down to kiss Tony briefly before nestling further into the couch cushions. There was a companionable silence stretched between them, and Loki was happy to leave it as it was.

“Hey, you should come down and spar with us some time. We have these like, annual battle things where we all fight each other in rounds, one on one. You should do it too since you’re practically part of the team.” Tony kept his eyes closed as he said this, a peaceful expression on his face.

“Perhaps I shall. What about Captain Rogers though?”

“Eh, he’s got to get that stick out of his ass at some point. It’s not like we’re going to break down and make passionate love on the floor in the middle of a fight or anything.”

“How can you be so sure? You can never keep your hands off me for too long.” Loki smirked as Tony’s eyes flew open and he gaped.

“ _Me?_ I’m sorry, _I_ wasn’t the one who jumped my partner when the room emptied on Wednesday – who was that, oh, let’s think… you!” Tony smacked him lightly on the chest and lay back down, muttering about biased gods and raging hormones.

“How will I fight with you though? My magic is also a survival instinct, if I can’t get out of a situation physically, it tends to kick in and help me out mentally. I assume Mjölnir is also prohibited as that is Thor’s fallback?”

Tony blinked. “Yeah, yeah it is… how the hell do we bind your magic then? Do you have any idea?”

Loki thought about it for a moment. “We’ll ask Thor to contact Heimdall when he gets back. I think the Allfather has something of the sort that will allow me to compete- Don’t make that face, you know it’s a competition, this is Barton we’re talking about.”

Tony chuckled and Loki resumed his hand’s path through his hair.

“It should be fun. And I’m fine with you sampling my magic… I trust you not to use it against me before it’s time.”

Loki wanted to kick himself. Or stab. Stabbing was good, stabbing meant it was a real wound and he deserved pain for the look that slip of his tongue had put in Tony’s eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m not sure, I just… Everyone always likes to have leverage over me because I’m the trickster god, and sometimes they like to use that leverage for no good reason. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed-“

“Of course you shouldn’t have assumed Loki! I’m not going to hurt you, as much as you might think it! I’m not going to be some bastard who’ll turn on you for no reason, Jesus, I thought we’d been over this!”

“Stark, please, you must understand, I’ve taught myself not to trust people because they all turn on me!”

“So don’t you trust me, then? Is that it?”

Loki fucking hated himself for letting his tongue run away from him. “Tony, I do, please, just _listen_ to me!” Loki didn’t remember either of them standing up, but suddenly the couch was between them as Loki begged him to wait.

“I’ve spent millennia being betrayed and doing my fair share of the betraying too, don’t you see how I could have let that get away from me?”

“So if you trust me like you say you do, are you just going to kill us all while we sleep, then?” Tony was gesturing wildly, a frown pulling his brows down and it felt so _wrong_ to see him like that.

“ _What?_ Where did you get that from?”

“You said you did your fair share of betraying – so should I just wait for it to happen to me too, then?”

“Tony, you idiot why would I betray you? I came to earth full of rage and pain and then I met you, and you vanished it all away. You gave me something to look forward to, something to _live_ for! I’m not going to hurt you, just like you promised not to hurt me. I swear it – and I believe you, you know. Forgive me this one flaw, it’s been millennia in the making so can you understand why it’s taking more than a month to grow out of?”

All the fight went out of Tony then, and Loki himself lowered the defensive set of his shoulders as he took a couple of tentative steps forward. “I’m sorry,” He said quietly.

Tony shook his head and crossed the rest of the space between them to pull Loki into a fierce embrace. “Don’t apologise for me being a dickhead, Loki. I’m sorry too.”

Loki held on to him just as tightly for a few minutes until they broke apart, then started chuckling.

“Well, that was a good first fight. It’s good to know we share at least _some_ of the same characteristics as a normal couple.”

Tony started laughing too once he had explained himself, and they ended up a breathless tangle of limbs on the couch. Loki kissed Tony’s forehead, but got pulled down for a real kiss by the engineer.

“Come on, the agents’ll be back from the movies soon. Let’s go find something to make for dinner.” Tony offered, and Loki smiled at him.

When they all arrived for dinner, nobody said anything about the way Tony and Loki flitted around each other in the kitchen, or about the way they would often reach out and touch each other, wrapping an arm around a waist briefly or brushing their arms together, or even the one time when Loki was passing behind Tony and kissed him on the back of his neck before shoving his tray into the oven.

It was strange for the two men at first, but after a few minutes it just felt natural to be together like they were. It felt normal, and they weren’t going to let anybody spoil it for them.

*********

(The image I wanted of course, doesn't exist so have this one instead)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And because I felt bad, I made a shitty photo manip of Loki's eyes when he wields his magic with greater intensity.  
> I can't draw to save my life on tablets thus the edit, but if anyone else wants to draw something from this, then go ahead, you have my blessing! :)


End file.
